Niels Nagelhus Schia

Senior Research Fellow, Head of NUPI's Centre for Cyber Security Studies

Niels Nagelhus Schia is a senior research fellow and manager for NUPI's Center on digitalization and cyber security studies.

He is a former fellow of the NSSR (New School for Social Research) and holds a PhD degree in social anthropology from the University of Oslo.

With a focus on the role of cybersecurity and cybersecurity governance in international relations Schia tracks new developments in policy and research, and provide academic studies, expert analysis and strategic policy recommendations. His research focus combines anthropology and international relations theory with theories of cyber security. His current projects are concerned with norms and state behavior in cyber space, development assistance and capacity building, societal vulnerabilities, sovereignty and cyberspace, global governance and cyberspace. In the research project GAIA (funded by the Research Council of Norway's IKTPLUSS initiative) Schia explores links between digital value chains, national autonomy and international politics. This is a four-year cooperation between SimulaMet, NUPI and several other institutions and universities. Read his most recent article The Cyber Frontier and Digital Pitfalls in the Global South published in Third World Quarterly (2018).

Schia has worked on numerous topics within international organizations, global governance, peacebuilding and statebuilding over the previous years. He has acted as an adviser to governments and international organizations on issues pertaining to capacity building, institution building and global governance. He has participated in international discussions and working groups in the United Nations and regularly participates at international conferences. He has long experience with developing and finalizing research projects financed by governments and research councils. A cross cutting concern in these research projects has been the exploration of global connections to more localized and national contexts. This is also a concern in his book Franchised States and the Bureaucracy of Peace (Palgrave Macmillian, 2018) and in his chapter Horseshoe and Catwalk: Power, Complexity and Consensus-Making in the United Nations Security Council in the book Palaces of Hope: The Anthropology of Global Organizations (Cambridge University Press, 2017).

Schia has published in scientific journals such as Third World Quarterly, European Journal of International Relations, International Peacekeeping, Journal of International Relations and Development, and Political and Legal Anthropology.

His current research focuses on cyber security, cyber capacity building in developing countries and emerging economies, internet governance and collaboration between states and non-state actors.

He is a former Fulbright Scholar and from January 2017 he is a co-editor of the leading Scandinavian-language International Relations-journal Internasjonal Politikk.

Education

2015 PhD, Social Antropology, University of Oslo

2004 Cand.polit., Social anthropology, University of Oslo

Work Experience

2017- Co-editor of the leading Scandinavian-language International Relations-journal Internasjonal Politikk.

2015- Head, NUPI's Cyber Security Centre. 2010 Advisor, Civil Affairs, Policy Best Practices Services (PBPS), UN Department of Peacekeeping Operations, New York HQ.

2009 Visiting scholar at The New School for Social Research, New York, Leiv Eiriksson mobility programme (The Research Council of Norway) and Fulbright Scholar.

2003- Research Assistant / Research Fellow / Senior Research Fellow, NUPI.

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2012-2016 Board member Fulbright Alumni Association of Norway.

2013-2016 Head of Scientific Committee for Fulbright annual research award.

Publications All publications

Small States at the Top of Global Diplomacy: Different Tactics of Estonia and Norway on the UN Security Council
Publication : Popular scientific article | 2021
- Kristin Haugevik
- Niels Nagelhus Schia
Op-Ed discussing what elected members of the UNSC can hope to achieve in a setting marked by great power tensions and ineffective working procedures.
Small States, Different Approaches. Estonia and Norway on the UN Security Council
Publication | 2021
- Kristin Haugevik
- Niels Nagelhus Schia
In 2021, Estonia and Norway serve alongside Ireland as elected European members on the UN Security Council. In this report we ask: Why do smaller sta1
Digital technology and development
Publication : Policy brief | 2021
- Erik Kursetgjerde
- Niels Nagelhus Schia
Increasingly, the global challenges posed by digitalization and cybersecurity are emerging as central to the organization of development assistance –1
Digital Vulnerabilities and the Sustainable Development Goals in Developing Countries
Publication | 2020
- Niels Nagelhus Schia
- Johann Ole Willers
How does digitalization lead to new kinds of global connections and disconnections in the developing countries? And which role does digitalization pl1
Digitale trusler blir kinkig for Norge i Sikkerhetsrådet
Publication : Popular scientific article | 2020
- Erik Kursetgjerde
- Niels Nagelhus Schia
(Op-ed in Norwegian): De fleste land rangerer trusler via det digitale rom som en av de største utfordringene for det 21. århundret. På tross av dett1

Projects All projects

Cybersecurity Capacity Centre for Southern Africa (C3SA)
Research project | 2020 - 2022 (Ongoing)
C3SA informs policy through cybersecurity research to build national cyber capacity and resilience across Africa....
Security policy Development policy Diplomacy International organizations Asia Africa Cyber Fragile states
Public–Private Development Interfaces in Ethiopia (DEVINT)
Research project | 2021 - 2024 (Ongoing)
Private actors are increasingly operating in the name of development and in partnership with international development actors. This project (DEVINT) will explore the nexus of private actors and public...
Economic growth Human rights Governance Development policy Foreign policy International organizations United Nations Africa Globalisation
Reference group for Norway's membership in the UN Security Council
Research project | 2020 - 2022 (Ongoing)
Norway has a seat in the UN Security Council in 2021 - 2022. Through this project we will facilitate meetings with the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs to discuss important strategic issues....
Peace operations Security policy Human rights Conflict Climate Development policy Humanitarian issues Diplomacy International economics International organizations United Nations Cyber Fragile states Globalisation
Defending and renewing multilateralism: Estonia and Norway in the UN Security Council
Research project | 2020 - 2021 (Completed)
This project will explore possibilities to enhance Estonian-Norwegian bilateral cooperation in promoting multilateral cooperation and a rules-based global order in the framework of the United Nations ...
Security policy Governance Climate Diplomacy Foreign policy International organizations United Nations Globalisation Europe The Nordic countries
Digital sovereignty and autonomy (GAIA)
Research project | 2019 - 2022 (Ongoing)
NUPI in collaboration with Simula Research Lab will map global data flows and their impact on national autonomy and sovereignty....
Cyber Security policy Governance International organizations Diplomacy

Events All events

WEBINAR: Digital technology and development aid
Event
Tue 14 Dec 2021
Time: 15:00 Europe/Oslo | Location: Microsoft Teams
At this webinar we take a closer look at the findings from the report Integrating Cyber Security into the Digital Development Agenda, with presentations from the authors, Melissa Hathaway og Francesca Spidalieri.
The weakest link? Digital technology and cyber security capacity building in Developing Countries
Event
Wed 7 Apr 2021
Time: 14:00 Europe/Oslo | Location: Microsoft Teams
The world gets more interconnected, and the dependency of cyberspace and its infrastructure is now evident in most sectors. Join this seminar to learn more about the need for security standards across countries.
Defending and renewing multilateralism: Estonia and Norway in the UN Security Council
Event
Wed 4 Nov 2020
Time: 10:00 Europe/Oslo | Location: Webinar
What possibilities exist for Estonian-Norwegian bilateral cooperation in the United Nations Security Council?
Theory Seminar: Cyber Conflict in the study of International Relations
Event
Thu 31 Oct 2019
Time: 11:00 Europe/Oslo | Location: NUPI
Max Smeets will take a closer look at the academic literature on analysing cyber conflict.
The International Cyber Diplomacy Agenda
Event
Tue 24 Apr 2018
Time: 13:00 Europe/Oslo | Location: NUPI
Karsten Geier, an important voice in international cyber diplomacy and security, visits NUPI to give you an overview of the international cyber diplomacy agenda.