Karsten Friis

Karsten Friis is a Senior Adviser at the Norwegian Institute of International Affairs (NUPI). Currently he heads NUPI’s work on the MNE6 project, which focuses on the development of civilian–military cooperation in international operations and coordinates activities with the other project partners – the FFI (Defence Research Establishment) and the FST (Joint Staff College). Friis also follows political developments in the Balkans, with an emphasis on Serbia, Montenegro and Kosovo. He worked as a Political Adviser at the OSCE Serbia from 2004-2007, as well as for the Montenegro mission in 2000. From 2001 until 2004 he served as an advisor to the Norwegian Armed Forces, and from 1999-2000 he was an analyst at KFOR Headquarters in Kosovo. Friis has published widely on the ‘whole of government’ and comprehensive approaches to state-building and crisis management. He received his MA in International Relations from the London School of Economics, and a Cand Polit (M.Phil) in Political Science from the University of Oslo.