Gunnar Edvard Heckscher (8 July 1909 – 24 November 1987) was a prominent Swedish political scientist, academic, and conservative politician.

He later held significant roles at the Stockholm School of Social Work, where he became rector in 1945 and professor of political science by 1948.

Heckscher also had a distinguished diplomatic career, serving as Sweden's ambassador in New Delhi (1965–1970), Tokyo (1970–1975), and as a delegate to the United Nations in 1975.

Additionally, he played key roles in several governmental committees, focusing on psychological defence, public administration, and constitutional reform.

[3] Heckscher held various prominent appointments, including serving as a member and secretary of the Social Education Expert Committee from 1942 to 1946, a member of the Defence Information Inquiry (Försvarets upplysningsutredning) in 1944, the 1945 Military Inquiry, the Social Science Research Committee (Socialvetenskapliga forskningskommittén) in 1945, the National Swedish Rent Tribunal (Statens hyresråd) from 1945 to 1947, the Municipal Information Committee (Kommunala upplysningskommittén) in 1946, the Municipal Information Board (Kommunala upplysningsnämnden) in 1947, the Manpower Inquiry (Arbetskraftsutredningen) from 1950 to 1955, and the State Social Science Research Council (Statens samhällsvetenskapliga forskningsråd) from 1951 to 1952.

[1][3] In politics, he served in Sweden's Lower House of the Riksdag from 1957 to 1965, representing the Right Party on the Committee on Foreign Affairs.