Society’s ability to address complex societal risks has been the driving force throughout Thomas Gell’s career. How can accidents and societal disruptions be prevented? Thomas Gell has contributed to establishing and developing societal risk management as an interdisciplinary academic field at Karlstad University, while also creating lasting structures for collaboration between research, education, government agencies and rescue services. For these contributions to both academia and society, he is awarded an honorary doctorate by Karlstad University in 2027.
Risk management is a highly relevant field today, but as early as the beginning of the 2000s, initiatives were taken to establish a professorship funded by the Swedish Rescue Services Agency, creating the organisational and financial conditions necessary for academic investments at Karlstad University. Through research collaborations, staff exchanges and doctoral education for government employees, Thomas Gell has built enduring links between academia and practice through the Master's Programme in Risk Management in Society and the Centre for Societal Risk Research.
Convinced That Societal Disruptions Can Be Prevented
As a manager within the former Swedish Rescue Services Agency, now incorporated into the Swedish Civil Contingencies Agency, and later as Director of Research and Innovation at the Swedish Fire Protection Association and Director of Brandforsk, Thomas Gell continued to connect Karlstad University and other higher education institutions with public, private and non-profit organisations. His work has been guided by the conviction that accidents and societal disruptions can be prevented through systematic learning, access to data, scientific analysis and collaboration across professional and organisational boundaries.
Risk management has become even more topical in recent days due to incidents such as hacked freezer systems in grocery stores. How should society protect itself against disruptions of this kind?
“For a period during the 1990s, I was responsible for the programme providing protective masks for the civilian population, which meant that every resident, including children, was to have access to a gas mask,” says Thomas Gell, Licentiate of Engineering and former Head of Department and Research Director at the Swedish Rescue Services Agency and Brandforsk.
“This programme continued until the early 2000s, when Sweden’s total defence system was dismantled. We believed that the world order would stabilise after the end of the Cold War, but one lesson is that we cannot treat society’s ultimate protection mechanisms as something to be adjusted according to economic cycles. Now we have had to start from scratch again, which makes us highly vulnerable. I do not have a ready-made solution for dealing with the societal disruptions we are now experiencing, but we need to be aware of the problem, educate more people in risk and safety management, and continue research in the field.”
Many Types of Societal Risks
Thomas Gell’s contributions have strengthened both the university’s and society’s capacity to address complex societal risks through an interdisciplinary, research-based and practice-oriented approach.
“My collaboration with Karlstad University has largely focused on preventing fires, fall-related accidents, suicide and climate-related risks, all of which are critically important issues. However, it never occurred to me that I would receive this distinction. I thought honorary doctorates were only awarded to famous people.
Perhaps I have been fortunate enough to be in the right place at the right time during my career, and I am now receiving this unexpected recognition for my work. I feel deeply honoured.”
“Thomas Gell recognised the importance of societal risk management long before the field received the attention it enjoys today,” says Annika Rudman, Dean of the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences at Karlstad University.
“Through dedication, perseverance and a forward-looking perspective, he has helped establish and develop a field that is now of great importance to research, education and societal development. Through his initiatives, leadership and personal commitment, Thomas has contributed to building research environments, collaborations and educational programmes that continue to develop and create value. As a visionary and pioneer within a growing area of societal importance, Thomas has left a lasting legacy for future generations, both in practice and in academia.”
Thomas Gell will receive his honorary doctorate at Academic Celebration which will be held on 16 April 2027 at Karlstad University.
