Norwegian Institute of International Affairs

Norwegian Institute of International Affairs   (Think tank)
Abbreviation	NUPI
Formation	1959
Headquarters	Norway
Interest of	Kaare Sandegren
Sponsored by	Norway/Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Subpage	•Norwegian Institute of International Affairs/Director
Membership	Kate Hansen Bundt
A semi-official foreign policy think tank close to the [Norwegian Defence Research Establishment and the military intelligence service.

The Norwegian Institute of International Affairs (Norsk utenrikspolitisk institutt; NUPI) is a Norwegian research institution based in Oslo. It was established by the Norwegian Parliament in 1959.

A very special and close alliance was formed between NUPI, the Norwegian Defence Research Establishment and the military intelligence service, where the foundation for the country's official "security policy" was created. Former Conservative politician and deep state actor Oddmund H. Hammerstad described it as: "Today NUPI is situated next door to the military intelligence service's headquarter - a hard-hitting alliance with a hint of inbreeding". The Norwegian stay behind had offices in the stories above and below NUPI.

Its first director was John Sanness. He was active in the Labour Party's surveillance work from 1945, and sat in the party's foreign policy committee from 1945 to 1973.

History

The Norwegian Institute of International Affairs (NUPI) was established by the Norwegian Parliament in 1959 in order to promote a better understanding of international issues in Norway. NUPI has sought to achieve this by undertaking a wide range of research activities and by disseminating information on international issues. Among the Norwegian institutes that do international affairs research, NUPI has a leading position on matters of direct relevance to Norwegian foreign policy and economic relations.

Although it was previously entirely funded over the state budget (later supplemented by a sizable share of outside project funding), NUPI's has a formal independence from Norwegian foreign policy. The institute as such has never taken a policy stance on current issues, but has left this to the professional judgment of its individual researchers. Nevertheless, in the Norwegian political debate and in the wider Norwegian research community of international affairs, NUPI has tended to be perceived as close to the government's views, whether the government has been Labour or Conservative, center-left or center-right. Several of its directors have been prominent Labour politicians, notably John Sanness, Johan Jørgen Holst and Jan Egeland. Three of its other researchers, Anders C. Sjaastad, John Kristen Skogan and Janne Haaland Matlary, have been members of Conservative/center-right or centrist governments.

Organisation

Ulf Sverdrup has been director since 2012. The institute employs research professors (corresponding to full professors), senior researchers (corresponding to associate professors), researchers (corresponding to assistant professors), and non-academic staff.

The institute is organised into four research groups:

• Research group for Security and defence (Head: Karsten Friis, PhD)
• Research group for Russia, Asia and International Trade (Head: Helge Blakkisrud, PhD)
• Research group for Peace, Conflict and Development (Head: Kari Osland, PhD)
• Research group for Global Order and Diplomacy (Head: Kristin M. Haugevik, PhD)

Directors

The position was originally a permanent appointment. In 1996 it was changed to a once-renewable 6-year appointment.

• John Sanness 1959-83
• Johan Jørgen Holst 1983–1986 and 1989–1990
• Kjell Skjelsbæk 1986–1989
• Olav Fagelund Knudsen 1990–1995
• Olav Stokke 1996
• Sverre Lodgaard 1997–2007
• Jan Egeland 2007–2011
• Ulf Sverdrup 2012–

 

Employees on Wikispooks

Employee	Job	Appointed	End
Kaare Sandegren	Deputy head	1967	1969
Anders Sjaastad	Research fellow	1970

 

Sponsor

Event	Description
Norway/Ministry of Foreign Affairs	A significant donor to NGOs and planning organizations. Many of the recipients dovetail with NATO objectives like regime changes and controlling the narrative.

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