Researcher
Karsten Friis
Contactinfo and files
Summary
Dr. Karsten Friis is a Research Professor in NUPI's Research group on security and defence. He is on leave from September 25, 2026.
His research area is security and defense policies in Europe, with an emphasis on NATO, the Nordic region, the Arctic, transatlantic relations, intelligence, cyber security and the Western Balkans. He has published and led several major projects on these topics. Friis is also a frequently used commentator in the public discourse - not least in relation to Russia’s war against Ukraine.
Friis is a political scientist with a PhD from the University of Groningen, a Cand. Polit from the University of Oslo and an MSc from the London School of Economics. Friis has been associated with NUPI since 2007. Before that, he was a political adviser to the OSCE Mission to Serbia (2004 to 2007), the OSCE in Montenegro (2001) and in Kosovo (1999). Friis was also part of the EU's negotiating team for the referendum on independence in Montenegro in 2006. In addition, Friis has worked for several years in the Norwegian Armed Forces and served at NATO/KFOR in Kosovo.
Expertise
Education
2018 PhD, University of Groningen
1998 Cand Polit, Political Science, University of Oslo
1995 Master, International Relations, London School of Economics
Work Experience
2007- Senior Research Fellow/Senior Advisor/Advisor, NUPI
2004-2007 Political advisor for OSCE, Serbia/Montenegro
2001-2004 Advisor, the Norwegian Armed Forces
2000-2001 Political advisor, OSCE, Montenegro
1999-2000 Analyst/E-off, NATO/KFOR HQ, Kosovo
1999 OSCE Kosovo Verification Mission
Aktivitet
Filter
Clear all filtersA Governance and Risk Inventory for a Changing Arctic
In this chapter, Elana Wilson Rowe, Ulf Sverdrup, Karsten Friis, Geir Hønneland, and Mike Sfraga caution against viewing trends of conflict and cooperation in the Arctic in binary terms. While the US and Europe are determined to confront malign activity in the region, all sides continue to “demonstrate a commitment to cooperation and joint solutions to common challenges.” After reviewing the key factors and drivers supporting and challenging stability in the Arctic, the authors remind us that “cooperation in conflict” has long been the norm in the region, allowing cooperative governance to progress despite the enduring NATO-Russia military rivalry. Ongoing dialogue in the region – essential for addressing the regional and global implications of climate change – is poorly served by focussing on “narratives or practices of strategic competition alone.” To avoid “political tipping points” beyond which cooperation will become too difficult, the authors call on policymakers to be more proactive in how they address emerging governance challenges related to security and economic development.
Leangkollen Security Conference 2021 | DAY 2 – “Building Resilience to Foreign Interference”
Debate about digital security and foreign influence
Bra med bombefly
The debate over the deplyoment of US bombers B1 at Ørlandet is unfortunately too often imprecise.
EU's strategic compass
The EU is currently developing a ‘Strategic Compass’ for its security and defense policy. Join this webinar to learn more about the background, the progress, and the challenges the process is facing.
Stat, nasjon og verneplikt En genealogisk analyse av stats- og nasjonsbyggingen i Norge med fokus på verneplikten
The report is a genealogy of the popular legitimacy of the state in Norway, using the military conscription system as a case.
Norway, NATO and the Northern Flank
This chapter discusses Norwegian perspectives on North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO), and security and defense policy. It begins with a short background discussion about the historical relations between Norway and Russia, and the Norwegian security and defense posture that has resulted in since the World War II. It describes Norway’s relations to NATO, popular support for the Alliance today, and Norway progress concerning the 2 percent target at the Wales summit in 2014. Current Norwegian security and defense policy reflects renewed concerns about developments in Russia, and the desire to enhance NATO and United States engagement in the north, while also strengthening European security cooperation. Norway, as a small state with limited national forces, must rely on NATO for its security and deterrence. Norwegian popular support for NATO is higher than in a long time, and even voters on the far left appear predominantly supportive.
– Vi må anta at vi overvåkes
We must assume that large parts of our digital communication can be picked up by foreign intelligence services.
NATO facing challenges from the Arctic to the Black Sea Region
Which challenges do NATO face on its Eastern flanks in the years to come? LSE IDEAS, the New Strategy Center Bucharest, and NUPI invite you to a one day conference.
Naming and shaming of cyber intruders – does it work?
Last month Norwegian authorities made the rather unusual decision to call out - to attribute - Russia for being behind a cyber operation towards the Norwegian parliament. NUPI’s Cybersecurity Centre has the pleasure to invite to a webinar with Professor Madeline Carr. She will provide an overview of why attribution in cyberspace is difficult, the challenges of not being able to attribute - and different options on how to deal with this issue.
Missiles, Vessels and Active Defence What Potential Threat Do the Russian Armed Forces Represent?
In 2019, Russia’s Chief of the General Staff, Valery Gerasimov, presented a ‘strategy of active defence’, a possible prelude to the forthcoming Russian military doctrine. This article examines this strategy with particular emphasis on the role of precision-guided missiles, tactical nuclear weapons and the role of the navy. It provides insights on the shape of new Russian military doctrine and the military threat Russia might represent to the West. Maren Garberg Bredesen and Karsten Friis conclude that the active defence concept may imply a lowering of the use-of-force threshold. Russia’s continued build-up of tactical nuclear weapons integrated into the conventional forces reinforces this concern.