The area of research aims to cover politics and governance of security. RGSS investigates the interrelationship of public and private security sectors and the development of their relations (for example, the outsourcing of key government tasks and responsibilities to the global security firms); the relationship between security and new technologies; the role of civil society (public-private-people partnerships, for example); prevention of terrorism and organized crime and other new forms of organizing security policies; central international security actors such European Union and NATO.
The problematization of the meaning and direction of security policies also involves the concepts of resilience, the Finnish notion of comprehensive security, and human security with its dimension of human rights. RGSS focuses on three broader and mutually reinforcing research themes:
- the concept of security, human security, resilience and securitization
- security governance and administration, its actors and crisis decision-making
- transformation of traditional security practices and threats, including new threats and the practices related to them (for example, implications of cyber security politics and governance)
RGSS is home to the Tampere Security Research seminars (TASER) convened by Rune Saugmann. The bi-monthly seminar is a forum for discussing papers in progress with interested colleagues. TASER is open for all with an interest in security theory and practice, including related disciplines such as peace research, feminist thinking and international relations. Contact Rune for more info.