Increasing geopolitical tensions have created an environment where international collaboration is under scrutiny. This study examines Sweden's transition froma non aligned country to a member of a regional security-oriented regime. To preserve the advantages of an open academic environment and adapt to the new challenges posed by heightened security demands, this shift represents a crucial research area. It broadens the discussion on security threats and contributes to studies on how international academic mobility is perceived and managed by nations facing increased insecurity. The study focuses on inbound PhD students, revealing that Sweden has a relatively high proportion of doctoral students from China, Iran, and Russia - countries identified by the Swedish Security Service as problematic from a national security perspective. Russia's war in Ukraine, occurring in Sweden's immediate vicinity, along with Finland’s and Sweden's subsequent NATO memberships, has heightened public awareness of this new security stance.