The Norwegian Institute of International Affairs ( no, Norsk utenrikspolitisk institutt; NUPI) is a Norwegian research institution based in

Oslo Oslo ( , , or ; sma, Oslove) is the capital and most populous city of Norway. It constitutes both a county and a municipality. The municipality of Oslo had a population of in 2022, while the city's greater urban area had a population of ...

Norway Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic country in Northern Europe, the mainland territory of which comprises the western and northernmost portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula. The remote Arctic island of Jan Mayen and t ...

. It was established by the

Norwegian Parliament The Storting ( no, Stortinget ) (lit. the Great Thing) is the supreme legislature of Norway, established in 1814 by the Constitution of Norway. It is located in Oslo. The unicameral parliament has 169 members and is elected every four years bas ...

in 1959.

History

The Norwegian Institute of International Affairs (NUPI) was established by the

in 1959 in order to promote a better understanding of international issues in

. 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 A State (polity), state's foreign policy or external policy (as opposed to internal or domestic policy) is its objectives and activities in relation to its interactions with other states, unions, and other political entities, whether bilaterall ...

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 independence from Norwegian foreign policy is secured by its subordination to the Ministry of Education rather than the Ministry of Foreign Affairs (distinguishing it from its counterparts in Sweden and many other countries). 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 John Christian Munthe Sanness (24 May 1913 – 6 November 1984) was a Norwegian historian and politician for the Labour Party. He is known as the director of the Norwegian Institute of International Affairs from 1960 to 1983, professor at the Univ ...

Johan Jørgen Holst Johan Jørgen Holst (29 November 1937 – 13 January 1994) was a Norwegian politician representing Labour, best known for his involvement with the Oslo Accords. Holst was Minister of Defence from 1987 to 1989 and from 1990 to April 1993. He ...

and

Jan Egeland Jan Egeland (born 12 September 1957) is a Norwegian diplomat, political scientist, humanitarian leader and former Labour Party politician who has been Secretary General of the Norwegian Refugee Council since 2013. He served as State Secretary ...

. Three of its other researchers,

Anders C. Sjaastad Anders Christian Sjaastad (born 21 February 1942) is a Norwegian politician for the Conservative Party, and a parliamentary representative for Oslo Oslo ( , , or ; sma, Oslove) is the capital and most populous city of Norway. It consti ...

, John Kristen Skogan and

Janne Haaland Matlary Janne is a common given name in the Nordic countries. In Denmark, Norway and Estonia it is considered a feminine name, while in Sweden and Finland it is considered masculine. In Sweden and Finland it is often used as a nickname for people with r ...

, have been members of Conservative / center-right or centrist governments.

Organisation

Ulf Sverdrup Ulf, or Ulv is a masculine name common in Scandinavia and Germany. It derives from the Old Norse word for "wolf" (''úlfr'', see Wulf). The oldest written record of the name's occurrence in Sweden is from a runestone of the 11th century. The fe ...

has served as 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 five research groups (January 2022): * Research group for Security and defence * Research group for Russia, Asia and International Trade * Research group for Peace, Conflict and Development * Research group for Global Order and Diplomacy * Research group on Climate and Energy

Directors

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

1959-83 *

1983–1986 and 1989–1990On leave March 1986 to November 1989 (as Minister of Defence) and from November 1990 to January 1994 (as Minister of Defence and Minister of Foreign Affairs) * Kjell Skjelsbæk 1986–1989 * Olav Fagelund Knudsen 1990–1995 * Olav Stokke 1996 * Sverre Lodgaard 1997–2007 *

2007–2011 *

2012–

References

External links

* {{authority control 1959 establishments in Norway Government agencies established in 1959 Government agencies of Norway Research institutes established in 1959