Small States Summer School
The Nordplus funded, Small States Summer School has been hosted by the Centre for Small State Studies at the University of Iceland in 2024 and 2025. The summer school will be hosted again in August of 2026.
Projects
Publications
The circles of security: The role of the NB8 in (Northern) European security
No. 2 - April 2026
Authors:
Hiski Haukkala
Kristi Raik
Russia’s war against Ukraine has profoundly worsened Europe’s security environment, but it has also spurred deeper regional cooperation. The challenge now is to ensure that this growing number of initiatives remains purposeful, adds concrete value, and strengthens both the EU …
How to implement a full maritime services ban on Russian oil
No. 1 - March 2026
Authors:
Henrik Wachtmeister
Daniel Spiro
Henrik Praks
The EU is considering a full maritime services ban on Russian oil. While the final proposal and decision are still pending, the measure would replace the current oil price-cap regime by prohibiting European and allied companies from providing …
Small elite network and less formal governance structure: Efficient knowledge sharing and rapid policy responses?
M. Ackrén, N. Hokkala, P. Lægreid, E. Palmujoki, A. Trengereid, Á. E. Bernhardsdóttir, M. Koraeus, R. Olavson, B. Thorhallsson and K. Vrangbæk (pages 423-440)
This paper analyzes whether the seven Nordic countries, by virtue of their limited administrative size and less formalized governance arrangements, were particularly well-suited to fostering rapid …
Cooperation problems and bureaucratic infighting in small states: Lack of planning and unclear rules?
M. Ackrén, N. Hokkala, P. Lægreid, E. Palmujoki, A. Trengereid, Á. E. Bernhardsdóttir, M. Koraeus, R. Olavson, B. Thorhallsson and K. Vrangbæk (pages 409-422)
This comparative study of the seven Nordic countries supports the assumption that cooperation problems and bureaucratic infighting in small states during the early stages of the …
The effect of size and the Nordic states’ responses to the COVID-19 pandemic: Reactive or proactive?
M. Ackrén, N. Hokkala, P. Lægreid, E. Palmujoki, A. Trengereid, Á. E. Bernhardsdóttir, M. Koraeus, R. Olavson, B. Thorhallsson and K. Vrangbæk (pages 389-408)
This paper examines whether the small size of the public administration of the seven Nordic countries affected the nature of their crisis responses, focusing on the …
Introduction: Nordic countries’ crisis management of the COVID-19 pandemic: The effect of size
The effect of size – Á. E. Bernhardsdóttir and B. Thorhallsson (pages 375-388).
A Special Section - The Nordic Countries’ crisis management of the Covid-19 pandemic: The effect of size
Guest Editors: Ásthildur Elva Bernhardsdóttir and Baldur Thorhallsson in the journal Small States & Territories (ISSN: 2616-8006), Vol. 8, No. 2, November 2025, (pages 375-440).
This special section in SST deals with size-related challenges and opportunities in the seven Nordic countries (Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Finland, Iceland, Greenland and the Faroe …
Economic Adaptability in the Absence of Democratic Corporatism: Explaining Lithuania’s Export Performance
Vytautas Kuokštis and Ramūnas Vilpišauskas - Vilnius University
Project: NAS