Activities

WarPod #5: Anna Nadibaidze, Vincent Keating, Pål Røren and Guyangyu Qiao-Franco: The Russian invasion of Ukraine, part 1

The WarPod talks to Anna Nadibaidze, Vincent Keating, Pål Røren and Guyangyu Qiao-Franco to shed a light on the various consequences that the Russian invasion has had for Russia. Both internally and what consequences it has had for the Russian people, but also how the invasion has affected Russia’s international relations, including Russia’s relationship with China.

James Rogers joins Cornell Tech Policy Lab as Non-Resident Senior Fellow

We are proud to announce that James Rogers has joined the excellent Cornell Tech Policy Lab as a Non-Resident Senior Fellow. As part of their Emerging Technologies section, the team & James will be forging new Transatlantic projects on the future of drone warfare.

MOISL-students participating in WorldMUN

For the very first time, students from our Master’s in International Law and Security have participated in World Model United Nations – an educational simulation where students must solve international problems with other delegates from around the world! Picture taken by Victor Risom.

Discussion: Franco-Danish Defence Cooperation and European Security

This Franco-Danish discussion explores the state of the defence cooperation between Copenhagen and Paris, assesses areas of convergence, and examines the ways cooperation between the two countries strengthens European Security. The discussion features Thierry Legendre, managing director of AC Defence in Copenhagen, and Colonel Vincent Samson, the Defence Attaché at the French Embassy in Copenhagen.

Insight: BISA 2021 keynote with Dr Agnes Callamard

James Rogers was invited to chair the British International Studies Association (BISA) Conference 2021 keynote with Agnes Callamard, the Secretary General of Amnesty International and former UN Special Rapporteur on extrajudicial, summary or arbitrary killings.

Dr. Elke Schwarz: "The Hacker Way: Moral Decision Logics with Lethal Autonomous Weapons Systems"

Dr. Elke Schwarz held the keynote lecture for "The Algorithmic Turn in Security and Warfare" conference, organized by the AutoNorms project and the Center for War Studies (CWS) on 6 - 7 January 2022. Schwarz argues that the developments in military AI (replacing human decision making with AI wherever possible in military operations) reflect a prioritisation of ‘know-how’ over ‘know-what’, which in turn jeopardises not only global security, but also the very integrity of human ethical reasoning. The lecture was moderated by Dr. Ingvild Bode, Associate Professor at the CWS and Principal Investigator of AutoNorms.

Associate Professor Louise Moe receives funding from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Denmark for a major research and capacity-building programme on climate change resilience.

Funded with DKK 11,770,885 from the Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the research programme "Pastoralist Climate Change Resilience in Somaliland (PACCS)" will generate cutting-edge theoretical and policy knowledge on local climate change resilience in Somaliland, focusing on the critical but overlooked livelihood system of pastoralism. Picture by Charles Fred (GNU Free Documentation License).

Anna Nadibaidze chosen as winner of the 2021 OSCE-IFSH Essay Competition

Our colleague Anna Nadibaidze was chosen as one of the winners of the 2021 OSCE-IFSH Essay Competition on Conventional Arms Control and Confidence- and Security Building Measures in Europe. Her essay explored the impacts of weaponized artificial intelligence and the role that the OSCE can play in mitigating risks associated with the lack of regulation of autonomy in weapons systems.

Picasso's Drone

Postdoc Dominique Routhier has written the essay “Picasso’s Drone” that ponders what art history teaches us about the recent shift in drones from war machines to commercial products. Picture taken by Dominique Routhier.

Throughline: Drone Wars

Unseen, they stalk their targets from thousands of feet in the air. Operators are piloting them from military bases halfway across the world. At any moment, they could launch a strike that comes without warning. The attack drone was supposed to be a symbol of the era of precision warfare - a way to wage wars with fewer casualties on both sides. It's a technology that's been honed since it was first dreamed up during World War 1. But are drones actually precise enough? Do drones desensitize us to the casualties of civilians caught between us and our enemies? In this episode of “Throughline” by NPR, Dr. James Rogers is interviewed about the past, present and future of drone warfare. Picture: Creative Commons CC0 License.

Insight Briefing #3: William J. Perry and Tom Z. Collina on nuclear strategy

In this installment of the 'DIAS/CWS Virtual Briefings' we welcome Secretary William J. Perry, Secretary of Defence in the Clinton administration and Undersecretary of Defence for Research and Engineering in the Carter administration. Alongside him is Tom Z. Collina, the Director of Policy at Ploughshares Fund, a global security foundation in Washington, DC. Together with Dr James Rogers they discuss their experiences in Nuclear strategy, the problem of sole authority, and the prospect, or reality, of a Second Nuclear Arms Race and Cold War.

WarPod #4: Christoph Meyer, Chiara De Franco, Florian Otto: Warning about War

We are bringing our podcast back! For the new episode, WarPod talks to Christoph O. Meyer, Chiara De Franco, and Florian Otto about their award-winning book "Warning about War: Conflict, Persuasion and Foreign Policy" published with Cambridge University press.

Anne Ingemann Johansen in P1 Orientering, DR Nyheder and P1 Morgen: Is the EU prepared for a new refugee crisis?

European Heads of State are turning their attention to one of the likely consequences of the Afghanistan’s collapse: another large refugee stream heading towards Europe. To which extent is the EU prepared for a new refugee crisis? Hear/read CWS’s Anne Ingemann Johansen’s take on this in P1 Orientering, DR Nyheder and P1 Morgen. Picture licensed under Creative Commons License 2.0 Generic.

Insight Briefing #2: Peter W. Singer on the future of war

In this installment of the ‘DIAS/CWS Virtual Briefings’, Dr James Rogers and Peter W. Singer discuss not only how to best predict the future of conflict and how to track emerging trends, but also how technological advancements – like AI, Robotics, and Cyber Warfare – will transform the battlefields of the future. Peter is described in the Wall Street Journal as “the premier futurist in the national- security environment,” and has been named by the Smithsonian as one of America’s 100 leading innovators. He is co-author, with August Cole, of the new ‘fiction intelligence (FICSINT)’ novel called ‘BURN-IN: A Novel of the Real Robotic Revolution’.

Insight Briefing #1: Niall Ferguson on the Politics of Catastrophe

For this installment of the 'DIAS/CWS Virtual Briefings’, Dr James Rogers and Professor Niall Ferguson draw upon the World Wars, Spanish Influenza and the HIV/AIDS epidemic to discuss the politics of planning for the worst. Niall is a senior fellow at Stanford University, senior faculty fellow at Harvard and visiting professor at Tsinghua University. He has just released his new book ‘DOOM: The Politics of Catastrophe’. (Picture licensed under Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 4.0 International license.)

MICS mentioned in the Danish Government's proposal on cyber security

Minister of Defense Trine Bramsen presented a new proposal on cyber security, which will strengthen Denmark's ability to withstand threats in the cyber domain. The proposal contains new and improved tools to increase cyber security, referring among other to our new professional Master degree in Intelligence and Cyber Studies (MICS).

Why did Denmark help the US spy on its European allies?

Denmark's public broadcaster Danmarks Radio (DR) revealed last week that the Danish Defence Intelligence Service had cooperated with the US National Security Agency (NSA) to enable spying on several European partners and close allies. Considering the major reputational costs, why did Denmark allow the NSA to use Danish data cables to spy on senior officials in France, Germany, Norway and Sweden, including German chancellor Angela Merkel? Read Amelie Theussen's assessment in The Conversation.

Insight Conversation #2: Rolf Holmboe & Sten Rynning on forever wars

Conversation between the Danish Ambassador to Mali, Rolf M. Hay Pereira Holmboe, and Professor Sten Rynning about the question “What comes after the forever wars?”. CWS Insight Conversations are brief online conversations between a researcher and a practitioner on a topical issue, moderated by Professor Trine Flockhart, Co-Director of CWS.

What to do about Islamic State supporters still in Syria? Denmark’s decision sets a worrying trend

Denmark has decided to repatriate some Islamic State (IS) supporters from camps in Syria, but seems to have prioritised security and politics over legal norms in making these decisions. This sets a worrying precedent. Read Kerstin Carlson's assessment in The Conversation.

Insight Conversation #1: Jamie Shea & Mark Webber on the upcoming NATO summit

CWS President Professor Jamie Shea and Professor Mark Webber discuss the question “What should we expect from the upcoming NATO Summit?”. CWS Insight Conversations are brief online conversations between a researcher and a practitioner on a topical issue, moderated by Professor Trine Flockhart, Co-Director of CWS.

CWS professor Anders Engberg-Pedersen wins prestigious EliteForsk Prize

Anders receives the highly prestigious EliteForsk prize for his research on cultural forms of war from the Napoleonic Wars to today, and how war, literature, aesthetics and creativity are intertwined. The prize comes with 1 million DKK for research. You can read more about Anders, his research and the prize here on Fyens.dk (in Danish).

Lyt til Postdoc André Ken Jakobssen i Radio 4 Kraniebrud om gråzonekonflikt i det digitale rum

Lyt med når André i Kraniebrud på Radio 4 udforsker stormagternes cyberangreb, spionage og desinformation i gråzonekonfliktens digitale rum mellem krig og fred og Improsec COO Claus Vesthammer fortæller om red teaming og pentesting.

Trine Flockhart i RÆSON SØNDAG: Boris Johnsons ”Global Britain” er ikke den stormagtsplan, den påstår at være

CWS Co-Director and Professor Trine Flockhart wrote an article about Global Britain in Ræson 2/5-2021. (Picture licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0)

Why is "green" espionage suddenly a top priority for the British intelligence service MI6?

What is "green" espionage and why is it now a top priority for the British intelligence service MI6? Listen on Radio 4 when postdoc André Ken Jakobsson explains why James Bond might one day be in Climate Minister Dan Jørgensen's office (in Danish). (Picture: Creative Commons Attribution-Share Alike 2.0 Generic license)

Television talkshow about industrial espionage against Danish companies

Postdoc André Ken Jakobsson participated in TV2 Nord's talkshow Fokus together with the Venstre's chairman of the Committee on the Intelligence Services, Preben Bang Henriksen, to discuss the challenges of industrial espionage in Denmark (in Danish).

Television documentary on Russian espionage against Danish advanced technology

Postdoc André Ken Jakobsson contributed to the TV2 Nord television documentary "The Russian spy in Aalborg" on Russian espionage against Danish advanced technology, in which the company SerEnergy and former head of PET, Frank Jensen, also participate (in Danish).

Diplomatic Stratcom - a practice to deal with dilemmas in the EUs Russia policy

When EU diplomats negotiate and implement the Union’s Russia policy they face an inherent dilemma. On the one hand they strive to consolidate the EU as a unitary and strong actor capable of standing firm against Russia. On the other hand they work to maintain flexibility to cooperate with Russia. In her PhD defence, Gry Waagner Falkenstrøm elaborates her conceptualization of Diplomatic Stratcom as a practice that diplomats engage to deal with such complex and often contradicting aims in the foreign policies they represent.

What the Charlie Hebdo trial could have learned from transitional justice

In January 2015, France was brought to a standstill over three days due to coordinated attacks beginning at the offices of the satirical journal Charlie Hebdo. All three attackers were eventually killed in standoffs with the police. In this podcast Kerstin Carlson discusses the Charlie Hebdo trial in Paris and how it relates to questions of transitional justice.

New member to our team

We are very pleased to announce that Claire Yorke has been awarded a Marie Skłodowska-Curie Individual Fellowship, and will be joining our team to develop her project Empathy and International Security (EIS). What is her background and what is the project all about? Find out here.

The significance of AI-driven weapons systems in the context of remote warfare

Debate about AI-driven weapon systems is new, but how practices of warfare compromise human control is not argue CWS’ Ingvild Bode and Hendrik Huelss’s in introductory volume on remote warfare.

ICC judges ignored Ongwen’s background in guilty verdict. Why it is a mistake

The Ongwen case at the ICC concerns a victim turned perpetrator. The judgment shows the ICC ignored the 9-year-old boy who survived abduction and flourished in a brutal environment to find the now 46-year-old Ongwen guilty. What does this mean for international criminal law?

Op-Ed in Altinget regarding recent Supreme Court Hate Speech Decision

In an Op-Ed in Altinget Miriam Mckenna, postdoc Lund University, and CWS’ Associate Professor Kerstin Bree Carlson discuss the Danish Supreme Court decision refuting “refugees” as a protected group for purposes of hate speech law. They argue that the decision goes against international law, which is unequivocal. Read here their arguments for, why Danish law should be revised.

How will the great power tech-race for Artificial Intelligence shape the future battlefield

In this Radio interview with Danish P1 Orientering, CWS’ postdoc André Ken Jakobsson analyzes the newly released National AiCommission final draft report on AI and military use: Is it a moral imperative and how can the West compete with China & Russia?

Iran and Turkey have become drone powers

Assistant Professor James Rogers wrote an article for the Washington Post. The article ties in events from the last 12 months of drone warfare to raise awareness for the Biden Administration.

Talent Track - Meet Kerstin Bree Carlson

How do we ensure that an - often implicit - bias does not affect law and legal justice? Kerstin Bree Carlson, an Associate Professor at the Department of Law and one of the emerging career scholars in the SAMF Talent Track, suggests that countries that apply transitional justice methods will have less biased court processes. To test this hypothesis, she will compare terror trials from Colombia, Ireland, France, and Denmark. SAMF Talent Track is a new initiative to support young ambitious researchers who have the potential to make significant contributions to their field of research. Read a Q&A with Kerstin Bree Carlson.

CONNECTIONS – Sculpture Exhibition by Steinunn Thórarinsdottir

Today, the world is marked by division both physically and ideologically. Find out how 10 sculptures by the artist Steinunn Thórarinsdottir this summer 2021 should help people connect. The exhibition is part of professor James Rogers’ interdisciplinary project on war and art. Photo: Arnaldur Halldórsson

The Liberal International Order and Peaceful Change – Values, Visions, and Passions

Ernst Haas was ahead of his time when he focused on emotions to explain peaceful change, but he was wrong about which emotions matter. What matters for achieving peaceful change is pride and enthusiasm rather than frustration and disappointment. The essay is written by professor Trine Flockhart and is part of a Roundtable on “International Institutions and Peaceful Change”.

The "Second Drone Age" Requires a New International Accord

In the article “We need a new international accord to control drone proliferation”, published in the Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists, James Rogers and Agnes Callamard argue that the world has now entered a “second drone age” with uncontrolled proliferation of armed drones that requires a new international accord. The article is available through the following link on the Danish Institute of Advanced Studies' website.

Nato-Russia tensions: what a Biden administration can do to lower the temperature

In the article professor Amelie Theussen and Senior Researcher Dominika Kunertova analyze the tensions between Nato and Russia. They describe what kind of policy priorities a Biden administration should have to lower the temperature.

A murder trial in Denmark leaves a nation wondering what constitutes a hate crime

In this blog professor Kerstin Carlson discusses what makes a hate crime? The discussion is based on a high-profile murder trial from the Danish island of Bornholm. The blog is published in The Conversation.

BBC News: 75th anniversary of the Nuremberg trials

On November 20, Kerstin Carlson was on BBC News discussing the 75th anniversary of the Nuremberg trials (Video: Tom Webb, BBC News).

DIAS Virtual U.S. Election Briefings

The U.S. Election 2020 is billed to be “the most important election for a generation”. But what does this really mean? And how will the election result influence international affairs? What should Europe be ready for? To find out, check out the new DIAS Virtual U.S. Election Briefings, where experts from across the U.S. and Europe will discuss how the election will play out on the world stage.

CWS Panel on Drone and Automation Research

On October 28, CWS held a panel discussion on the use of drones and automation featuring Dr. Amelie Theussen (chair), Dr. James Rogers (drones), and Dr. Ingvild Bode (automation). If you missed it - you can watch it here.

The threat of ‘killer robots’ is real and closer than you might think

In this article, Ingvild Bode writes on how technology today is being incorporated into weapons for use in combat situations. The article is published in "The Conversation".

What Kabuga’s arrest means for international criminal justice – and Rwanda

In this article, Kerstin Carlson writes on how Felicien Kabuga’s arrest is affecting Rwanda and international criminal justice. The article is published in “The Conversation”.

Al-Bashir and the ICC: there are better ways to achieve justice

In this article, Kerstin Carlson writes on how Sudan is considering handing over former leader Omar al-Bashir to the International Criminal Court. The article is published in “The Conversation”

Center for War Studies to host event at the Munich Security Conference

Why the Gambia’s plea for the Rohingya matters for international justice

In this article, Kerstin Carlson is writing about the Rohingya in Gambia and how they matters for international justice. The article is published in “The Conversation”

Trine Flockhart received the Carlsberg Foundation's Semper Ardens Monograph Fellowship

In this video Professor Tine Flockhart (Center for War Studies and Danish Institute for Advanced Studies) talks about receiving the Carlsberg Foundation's Semper Ardens Monograph Fellowship for her book project: The Coming Multi-Order World - Power, Practice and Principle in Times of Transformational Change.

War and Representation with Oxford University #3, War, Aesthetics, Politics

Professor Vivienne Jabri discusses the relationship between war, aesthetics and politics in relation to contemporary warfare with Christine Strandmose Toft. She argues that the tendency to represent war and violence as exceptional and spectacular does not help us understand what war as an everyday phenomenon entails. Vivienne Jabri is Professor of International Politics in the Department of War Studies at King’s College London. Christine Strandmose Toft is a PhD student in Comparative Literature at the University of Southern Denmark.

War and Representation with Oxford University #2, Philosophy and Nuclear War

Professor Elaine Scarry and Jens Bjering discuss philosophy and nuclear war. Professor Scarry analyzes how the prerogative of the United States executive to order a nuclear attack upsets not only traditional checks on the waging of war, but has severely upended U.S. democracy and constitutionality in toto. Elaine Scarry is the Walter M. Cabot Professor of Aesthetics and the General Theory of Value at Harvard University. Jens Bjering is a postdoctoral researcher at the University of Southern Denmark .

War and Representation with Oxford University #1, The Age of Amok

Professor Joseph Vogl discusses the phenomenon of ‘amok’ and the relation between mass shootings, warfare, and new forms of governmental power in American postwar society with Anders Engberg-Pedersen. Joseph Vogl is Professor of Literature, Culture, and Media at the Humboldt-Universität in Berlin and Permanent Visiting Professor in the Department of German at Princeton University. Anders Engberg-Pedersen is Professor of Comparative Literature at the University of Southern Denmark.

NATO @70: The Alliance’s Future Tasks and Roles

Read the summary of our NATO@70 conference with Anders Fogh Rasmussen, written by CWS PhD-candidates Vicky Karyoti and Michael Gjerstad. The conference was organized by Dominika Kunertova, Postdoc at CWS, in collaboration with the Royal Danish Defence College and the Royal Danish Military Academy and took place on 6. September 2019 at Frederiksberg Place.

Western states must repatriate IS fighters and their families before more break free from Syrian camps

Kerstin Carlson, Associate Professor at CWS, argues in her latest article for The Conversation that European powers have dallied over the question of what to do with the tens of thousands of Islamic State (IS) fighters and adherents captured following the fall of the so-called caliphate in Syria and Iraq for more than a year. Now, with the US decision to withdraw troops and Turkey’s subsequent invasion of northern Syria on October 9, the West has lost the luxury of inaction as a rising number of detainees are escaping.

The Royal Danish Defence College Signature Conference 2019

Danita Catherine Burke, post-doc at the Center for War Studies, writes about Forsvarsakademiets Signaturkonference 2019 (Defense Academy Signature Conference 2019) from the 1st-3rd October 2019 in Nuuk, Greenland. The conference was jointly organized by The Royal Danish Defence College, the University of Greenland and the Joint Arctic Command, focusing on the role of Arctic and Northern security for the security of the Kingdom of Denmark.

WarPod #3, Jeppe Teglskov Jacobsen: Overt Cyber Bombing

The WarPod talks to Jeppe Teglskov Jacobsen about the puzzling public use of cyber weapons against ISIS in Iraq and Syria. The effectiveness of cyber weapons depends on enemies being unaware of them. Why then, did the US military make their attacks available to the public?

CWS annual conference summary 2019

The Edge of Drone Warfare

Watch James Roger's TEDx Odense talk on drone warfare here.

WarPod #2, Danita Burke: Perceptions of Arctic Power

The WarPod talks to Danita Catherine Burke about perceptions of sovereignty in the disputed Arctic region. Though no one officially owns the arctic (and its waterways), Danita discusses how Canadians have developed a strong narrative of ownership of the Arctic validated by folk lore and the drawing of territorial lines on maps. The importance of such narratives is likely to increase as climate change alters the geography of the region.

WarPod #1, Vincent Keating: Russian soft power

The WarPod talks to Vincent Keating about the fact that Russia not only has strong military capabilities, including nuclear weapons, but it also generates a lot of admiration around the world; in other words, it has soft power. In contrast to the common held belief, Vincent suggests that Russia’s soft power has actually aided the country in achieving its foreign policy goals in the last couple of decades.

Alice Pannier Learning coalitions

Interested in collective learning within NATO and coalitions but were you unable to attend Alice Pannier's presentation at SDU in January? Then, take some time to read about her main conclusions here.

Why the NATO summit could deal a major blow to the international order

Trine Flockhart highlights the dangers of Donald Trump and his behavior for the liberal international order in light of the 2018 NATO summit. Can and will the international order survive President Trump?

War studies in a changing world

Did you miss CWS’ annual conference in October 2018? Don’t worry, Vasiliki Karyoti and Michael Gjerstad have put together a summary of discussions and presentations at the conference.

Why the new Arctic ‘Cold War’ is a dangerous myth

Are we really on the brink of a new ‘Cold War’ in the Arctic and what are the consequences of this rhetoric? Danita Catherine Burke argues that considering the increased military spending and activities in the Arctic region as “a new Cold War” detracts from the broader roles that militaries play throughout the Arctic and stokes the very tensions it warns of.

Gbagbos acquittal suggests confusion and dysfuction at the ICC

Kerstin Carlson analyses how the acquittal of highlights the messy, foundational disagreements pronounced within the institution itself – between prosecution and bench, within the trial chamber, between trial and appellate chambers – that render the International Criminal Court dysfunctional.

Heather Williams: Emerging technologies and strategic (in)stability

Will artificial intelligences, hypervelocity missiles and cyber-capabilities undermine nuclear deterrence and upset the balance of power? If you were unable to come to Dr. Williams’ seminar in early February you can now watch the recording here.

Understanding Russian soft power

Were you fascinated by Homeland´s last season featuring Russian influence in the US? Do you want to learn more about the strategies developed by the Kremlin? Vincent C. Keating, associate professor at the CWS, offers you two useful resources on the matter.