Institute for Security Research and Crisis Management

The Institute for Security Research and Crisis Management at SFU pursues an integrative and holistic knowledge strategy by aiming to uncover cultural, systemic, cognitive or psychodynamic structures behind primarily material security problems. The focus is therefore not only on objective security (i.e. technical-structural issues), but above all on subjective security and thus on aspects of the humanities, social sciences and cultural studies (GSK), which are becoming increasingly important in security research.

A particular focus is on the integration of current findings from psychotherapy science, which has established itself as a discipline in its own right beyond the immediate therapeutic practice and implies from the outset a holistic understanding of the human condition as an interweaving of humanities, social and cultural science phenomena.

From a psychological and sociological perspective, there is also a particular interest in certain trends and phenomena that do not initially appear to be directly and obviously relevant to security issues, but which can ultimately be decisive for an understanding of the security-relevant social environment. These include, for example, conspiracy theories or changing consumer and lifestyle habits.

Heads of the Institute:

• Dr Cornelius Granig (cybersecurity): cornelius.granig@sfu.ac.at
• Mag.(FH) Dr Gerd Hiess, BSc, MSc (general security research, social science aspects): gerd.hiess@sfu.ac.at