Meaning-Making in Times of Trouble: COVID-19 Conspiracies on Russian Telegram
Many Russians harbor distrust toward government institutions and official information. Amid the uncertainties of the COVID-19 pandemic, they turned to social media for advice. This article analyzes how the Russian-language Telegram channel “COVID Resistance” contributed to the process of making sense of the situation. Based on a close reading of selected posts, we reconstruct four conspiratorial narratives promoted by this channel: “toxic vaccines,” “fascistoid restrictions,” “coronavirus as a hoax,” and “besieged nation.” We find that these narratives, despite often contradicting each other, served as a form of meaning-making, offering explanations that helped ordinary people navigate the crisis.
Norway and Space: Strategic Positioning, Allied Cooperation, and Exposure (NSPACE)
The NSPACE project explores how Norway can respond to growing great-power competition in space by assessing how space infrastructure shapes national vulnerabilities and strategic oppor...
India in South Asia: Quest for regional dominance in a multipolar world
This seminar will present a new report on India's role in South Asia.
India in South Asia: Quest for regional dominance in a multipolar world
This seminar will present a new report on India's role in South Asia.
Three Books on Aleksei Navalny
(This essay is in Norwegian): In the wake of Alexei Navalny’s death in February 2024, several books have been published about the opposition leader. This essay will address three of these: "Patriot" (2024), written by Navalny himself, "Aleksej Navalnyj. Å drepe en fremtid (2024)" [Alexei Navalny. Killing a Future], written by John Færseth, and "Murder in the Gulag. The Life and Death of Alexei Navalny" (2024), written by John Sweeney. These are not academic books, and they are not written for an academic audience. How do these books contribute to the study of Russia and international relations? "Patriot" sheds light on two important themes: ideas one can be punished for in today’s authoritarian Russia and what this punishment can, in the worst case, entail. The books about Navalny written by Færseth and Sweeney are interesting examples of how Western actors articulate Russia. Sweeney in particular, draws on a black/white, villain/hero perspective and thus contributes to cementing the idea of Russia as the West’s ‘other’.
The power of standards in European Union digital governance
• This policy brief situates standardisation projects in the EU within global regulatory power, highlighting implications for markets, innovation, and global governance. • Standards for the production and distribution of digital products in the EU are technopolitical instruments that shape authority, legitimacy, and power, rather than neutral administrative tools for ensuring security and quality. • The EU’s regulatory power extends beyond European borders, intensifying debates about regulatory overreach, where public-interest regulation is often framed as protectionist and consequently rejected or simply ignored by major tech companies. • Standards should remain contestable, certification regimes subject to robust oversight, and expertise broadened beyond narrow technocratic communities.
The Nordic Countries and the future of Women, Peace and Security – Defenders of status quo or progressive champions?
In this webinar, we will take a closer look at the Nordic countries’ approach to the Women Peace and Security Agenda.
Reconciling Indonesia’s Climate Ambition: Who Gets to Shape the Policymaking Process?
Indonesia entered COP30 in Belém, Brazil, with more ambitious pledges, but the governance that produces those commitments has changed little. Successive Nationally Determined Contributions (NDCs) show greater ambition on paper yet remain shaped by a narrow technocratic circle, limited public participation, and growth-first economic assumptions. This expert-centered approach reveals a persistent tension between development priorities and the Paris Agreement’s goals. To strengthen credibility, ambition, and delivery before the next pledge-and-review cycle, Indonesia should: • Expand NDC involvement beyond the existing expert group. • Build a climate action coalition to coordinate national and local efforts. • Invest in capacity building while maintaining national control. • Publish comprehensive implementation roadmaps with well-defined targets and milestones. • Reduce reliance on FOLU and land-use sinks by accelerating energy and industrial decarbonization. • Rebuild strategic climate diplomacy to guide focused coalitions at COPs.
When space policy becomes security policy: Norway’s participation in the EU’s space activities (EU Rom)
This report was commissioned by the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Fisheries to inform decisions about Norway’s continued participation in EU space activities for 2028–2034. ...