Project description

In scholarship, there is no shortage of glowing descriptions of the region’s global performance. The Nordics are ‘moral superpowers’ (Dahl 2006), ‘agents of a world common good’ (Bergman 2007), ‘havens of gender equality’ (UN-CEDAW 2003), and the ‘referent’ for welfare states (Esping-Andersen 1990).

Our starting point was that these striking and consistent descriptions of the Nordics were suggestive of a “brand” – specific, simple, and stable. These statements, however correct or not, can be themselves treated as research objects. We can ask how and why did these ideas and narratives of exceptionalism emerge? Who drove their development? And how are they used strategically in politics and practice?

The project also seeks to advance the theory of branding, particularly its use as an analytical concept.

Organisation of the group

The coordinating institutions was from the University of Oslo's Faculty of Law, Faculty of Social Sciences, Faculty of Humanities, and Centre for Environment and Development (SUM).

The administering institution was at the Department of Public and International Law and the Forum for Law and Social Science is the host research group. Other University of Oslo departments involved included the Department of Criminology and Sociology of Law  and Norwegian Centre for Human Rights.

Our group researches a diverse range of topics from gender equality as branding to the Nordic peace image. 

About the group

Nordic Branding was led by Eirinn Larsen, together with Malcolm Langford, Sidsel Roalkvam, and Inger Skjelsb?k. It was previously led by Malcolm Langford.

The project involved 42 researchers from the University of Oslo and beyond. The disciplines covered included law, sociology, criminology, psychology, history, political science, economics, marketing, and anthropology.

Cooperation

The project brought together leading branding experts with experts on social models from the University of Oslo and fourteen other institutions in the Nordic region and UK. These included: 

Research projects

Dataset of indexes - the Nordics in global rankings

In an effort to map and study how global indices affect nation branding, Nordic Branding researchers developed a dataset of 78 global indices.

Project background

The dataset assists in research projects designed to investigate the claim that Nordic countries top every global ranking, and understand the drivers of global rankings, asking how indices shape societal success, politics, and identity. Assuming that global rankings have an effect on global and national perceptions, indices may play a role in nation and policy branding. The dataset allows one to study the dynamics of nation branding and the creation of a ‘Nordic brand’ through investigating how the Nordics actually perform. The project does not study whether the indices are accurate. Given the diversity of indices, where only some are annual, the rankings span across many years.

Variables

The dataset includes information about who publishes the index, which sources of data make out the foundation for the index, which issue areas the indices cover, and the rank of Nordic countries in the last available index (01.07.2020). On publishers, the dataset separates between research institutes, international organizations, civil society, interest group/corporations, and states, to be able to study whether certain groups dominate specific issue areas. The issue areas identified are social, economic, infrastructure, governance, global contributions (i.e. aid), global perspectives, and gender. 

Methodology

Indices from the data were identified partly through targeted searches and partly based on a list collated in Cooley A and Snyder J (eds) (2015) Ranking the World. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. The project team developed the coding manual, and the data was hand coded by two researchers at Nordic Branding/UiO:Nordic.

Do-gooders at the End of Aid

Book project on 'Branding Nordic Humanitarianism in the 21st Century'

Project leaders

Antoine de Bengy Puyvallée

Kristian Bj?rkdahl

Sidsel Roaldkvam

Gender Equality as Branding

How has gender equality been branded as a central element of the Nordic model? And how is it politicized in different contexts? The book project on Gender Equality as branding took a closer look.

About the book project

This book aimed at studying the so-called Nordic model of gender equality as an imaginary as well as an activity of imagining. Our focus was to investigate these processes outside as well as inside the Nordic region, in the recent past as well as in present. Former studies of this model have focused mostly on the policy development and achievements of individual Nordic states, or the Nordics as a region. The Nordic model of gender equality has also been studied by politicians and bureaucrats world-wide, looking for new solutions to old questions, or the reverse – referred to as a model to avoid. Together with the rising index-industry, these former studies have reinforced the notion of the Nordics as especially woman-friendly. Sweden, Norway, and Iceland, but also Denmark and Finland perform well in the global indexes. But, how is gender equality used in imagining the Nordics countries, by whom – when and where? And for what purpose and with what result?

The strong and persistent image of the Nordics as so-called ‘havens of gender equality’ is an invitation to scholars to rethink the approaches we use when studying the Nordic model of gender equality. We approach the Nordic model of gender equality as a transnational imaginary and practice of imagining, which is different from seeing it as a fact. Instead, we examine the construction and use of ideas related to the development and circulation of country specific policies of gender equality, the societal organization of the Nordic countries, the structure of the economy, the role of the state and the perception of its long-lasting egalitarian culture. The chapters in the book explore the politics of imagining when it comes to gender equality and branding the Nordics, taking a critical look at the Nordic policies and practices related to this imagining This practice or activity has an almost unlimited number of actors and agents from an almost unlimited number of countries and places. We will just cover some of them in this book, including how the Nordic countries’ are imagining themselves by the aid of gender equality.

In this way, the book also show how gender equality has been a major force in the processes of branding the Nordics: The politics of imagining has helped creating gender equality as a Nordic brand.

Events

Gender Equality as Branding: Moving Beyond Nordic Exceptionalism

Project leaders

Inger Skjelsb?k

Eirinn Larsen

Sigrun Marie Moss

Nordic Aesthetics

This project gathered scholars to examine the branding of Nordic aesthetics inside and outside of the Nordic region.

Nordicness, or Nordicity, is a prominent theme today in the cultural industries. Nordic design and fashion, new Nordic cuisine, or Nordic noir are just a few among numerous familiar cultural expressions in the Nordic countries and outside of them. These aesthetics are often facilitated by economic competition but also political projects that depict or promote a Nordic model.

Events

Conference 30-1 December 2017: Branding Nordic Aesthetics

Publication

The project will produce an edited volume on Nordic Aeasthetics.

Project Leaders

Veronique Pouillard

Mads Mordhorst

Nordic Exceptionalism and Criminal Justice

What is the role of the Nordics in international and transnational criminal justice? 

For more than a century, the internationalization of criminal justice has evolved along two paths, which correspond to two distinct fields of research: one associated with law enforcement and policing, and another with human rights and international law. On one hand, certain crimes with an international connection - organized crime, terrorism, money laundering and tax evasion - are historically linked to national law enforcement, the police in particular, and to street-level crime. On the other hand, specific crimes of international concern – war crimes, crimes against humanity, genocide and other kinds of ‘crimes of the powerful’ – are associated with the high politics of foreign ministries, and have generated the creation of new international institutions, such as the International Military Tribunal at Nuremberg and the permanent International Criminal Court.

This project contributed new perspectives on the discussion of the relationship between the high and the low politics of transnational criminal justice by investigating the linkages between the two from a Nordic perspective. By zooming in on Nordic approaches to criminal justice, the workshop will analyze the connection between high and low politics in judicial, penal and police cooperation. As different national ideas and practices of criminal justice engage other national systems, the Nordic systems are often perceived and promoted as having ‘exceptionally’ positive characteristic such as low imprisonment rates and ‘humane’ prison conditions. By investigating Nordic criminal justice cooperation with particular attention to high and low politics, law and policing, the workshop will contribute new perspectives on how these countries have interacted with other systems and what role the perception and promotion of their own system have played in these interactions.

Events

Workshop Mar. 1-2, 2018: Nordic exceptionalism in the high and low politics of justice-making elsewhere

Project leader

Kjersti Lohne

Nordic Narratives on International Law

The purpose of the project was to explore how international law has been constructed and applied in Nordic public spheres and abroad.

Background

International law has traditionally enjoyed significant attention in the Nordic countries. It occupies an important position in domestic debate and is often thought to have significant influence on relevant policy areas. Nordic governments have an outspoken ambition to comply with international law and to promote further development of the international legal system. International law has also occupied an important place in Nordic legal scholarship and there is a long history of joint Nordic discourse on topics of international law, with dedicated Nordic conferences and specialist journals such as the Nordic Journal of International Law. Since the early 20th Century, several international lawyers from the region have made important contributions to the development of international law, theoretically and practically.

At the same time, there has been ambivalence, even opposition, in the Nordic states towards international norms and instruments. This contradictory position has been historically less visible but has been the subject of growing research; and in the past few years this ambivalence is much more recognizable in government policy. In the field of human rights, expulsion of foreign citizens and restrictive measures towards refugees and migrants, perception of the Nordics as exceptional in respecting and implementation of international law has come under challenge. Moreover, various legal cases in the ICJ and elsewhere have challenged the idea that Nordic conceptions of international law are necessarily universal.

Focusing on Nordic conceptions, understandings and scripts allows for a broader investigation of the position and relevance of international law in the Nordic societies. The application of a Nordic perspective permits, on the one hand, comparisons between the five Nordic countries. On the other hand, it provides a basis for confirming or challenging the common perception that there is a joint Nordic perspective on international law.

Publication

The output of the project will be an edited book.

Project leaders

Nordic Peace Revisited

Nordic peace raises many questions about; the emergence and development of Nordic peace, how Nordic peace has become internalized in the self-identity narratives of the different nations, and the extent to which, in more recent years, Nordic peace has become reconceptualised as a brand.

Background

The Nordic countries are often held up as exemplars in debates about international politics. Be it in terms of their proclaimed environmentalism, their promotion of gender equality, or their support for humanitarian causes and multilateral peace support through the United Nations, the Nordic countries are often depicted as world leaders. In particular, the region is frequently characterized as almost unique in having managed to escape the otherwise (apparently) ubiquitous security dilemma and its attendant logics of mistrust and mutual suspicion, which it is claimed necessitate that states adopt a cautious and limited approach towards multilateral cooperation. In contrast, the region is often depicted as comprising a prima facie example of a Deutschian security community (Deutsch et al 1957), a region where stable expectations of peaceful change prevail and upon which the successful development of Nordic economic development has depended.

Although questions can be raised about this image – not least because the so-called Nordic peace was preceded by the occurrence of numerous wars (Wiberg 2000), while even during its proclaimed existence fractious intra-Nordic disputes have not been uncommon (Archer and Joenniemi 2003) – the image continues to be upheld. Indeed, this image has been internalized such that regional leaders often depict Norden as being fundamentally ‘world leaders in peace’. Indeed, to this extent, peace has often been depicted as a Nordic export and competitive edge, with this no less evident than in the extent to which the region is often depicted as possessing unique expertise in conflict resolution and where Nordic peace has become cultivated as a global brand (Browning 2007) – most evident in the annual awarding of the Nobel Peace Prize by the Norwegian Nobel Committee.

Events

Conference 18-19 March, 2019: Nordic Peace revisited - Call for papers.

Project leaders

Christopher Browning

Marko Lehti

Inger Skjelsb?k

The Implementation Paradox: Child Rights in Norway

An interdisciplinary book project on measuring child rights in Norway edited by Malcolm Langford, Marit Skivenes, and Karl S?vig.

Background

Within a short span of twenty-five years, the UN Convention for the Rights of the Child (CRC) has emerged as a central yardstick in assessing policies and practices concerning children. While many of the key elements in the CRC were legally embedded in Norwegian law before ratification, the treaty has helped trigger a series of legal and institutional reforms. It is also notable that in the nascent global index on children’s rights (Kids Rights Index), Norway performs exceptionally well on certain output indicators, particularly health, life and policy environment.

However, the level of compliance and implementation by Norway with the CRC continues to attract criticism in a number of areas. The UN Committee on the Rights of the Child has been particularly critical in the areas of asylum, child protection, disability and poverty. These concerns and others are not only championed by non-governmental organisations and the Children’s Ombudsmen but are reflected in the scholarly literature. Norway also scores poorly on children’s rights to education and protection in the Kid’s Rights Index.

While various reports have provided a comprehensive overview of Norway’s performance on children’s rights, few offer a rigorous quantitative and qualitative analysis. This book would therefore seek to provide a complementary perspective with a focus on quantitative measurement (with in-country and comparative European-specific indicators) and a richer interpretive gloss through grounded qualitative research. For instance, the afore-mentioned Kid’s Rights Index suffers from numerous design and reliability problems making its general usefulness doubtful.

Project

This project sought to analyse the current state of implementation of children’s rights in Norway. It assessed whether the current structural framework contributes to real change for children and young people. The project was initiated and is supported by Save the Children Norway. The organisation is especially interested in identifying the extent to which policies and laws successfully incorporate and implement children’s human rights in the public and private sphere, particularly in areas where children’s rights are especially vulnerable.

In addition to the book project, we will publish a report (in Norwegian) summarizing findings on measuring child rights in Norway.

Editors

  • Malcolm Langford, Professor, University of Oslo
  • Marit Skivenes, Professor, University of Bergen
  • Karl S?vig, Dean, Faculty of Law, University of Bergen

Authors

  • Asgeir Falch-Eriksen, Senior Researcher, Oslo Metropolitan University
  • Christian Wendelborg, Professor, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU)
  • Elisiv Bakketeig, Senior Researcher, Oslo Metropolitan University
  • Hadi Str?mmen Lile, Associate Professor, ?stfold University College
  • Hilde Lidén, Research Professor, Institute for Social Research
  • Hilde ?vrljuga S?tre, Research Fellow, Western Norway University of Applied Sciences
  • Inger Aasgaard, Adviser, Utlendingsnemnda
  • Ingrid Egeland Thorsnes, Policy Officer, European External Action Service
  • Jan T?ssebro, Professor, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU)
  • Karl S?vig, Dean, Faculty of Law, University of Bergen
  • Kirsten Sandberg, Professor, University of Oslo
  • Kristin Skj?rten, Researcher, Norwegian Centre for Violence and Traumatic Studies
  • Linda Gr?ning, Professor, University of Bergen 
  • Malcolm Langford, Professor, University of Oslo
  • Marit Skivenes, Professor, University of Bergen
  • May-Len Skilbrei, Professor, University of Oslo?
  • Nina Drange, Researcher, Statistics Norway 
  • Tone Fl?tten, Managing Director, FAFO 
  • Tori Loven Kirkeb?, Researcher, University of Oslo

Project leaders

Malcolm Langford

Marit Skivenes

Karl S?vig

The Limits of the Legal Complex: Nordic Lawyers and Political Liberalism

An interdisciplinary, collaborative book project.

Sitting atop most global indexes on core civil rights (not to speak of political and social rights), the Nordic states seem curiously devoid of visible legal complexes; representing seemingly the antithesis of turbocharged legal adversarialism (Kagan 2001; Hirschl 2011). If such a Nordic phenomenon exists, it might undercut the empirical (and normative) thrust of the legal complex project. Not only is the legal profession absent in struggles for political liberalism but this grouping appears relatively unimportant for its survival and sustenance.

This collaborative project brought together leading scholars working on the legal complex and/or the politics of the legal profession in the Nordic states. The objective was to interrogate possible Nordic exceptionalism and its implications for prior research on the legal complex.

Authors

  • Malcolm Feeley, Professor, University of California (Berkeley)
  • Malcolm Langford, Professor, University of Oslo
  • Esa Konttinen, Professor, University of Jyv?skyl?
  • Hans Petter Graver, Professor, University of Oslo
  • Johan Karlsson Schaffer, Associate Professor, University of Gothenburg
  • Mikael Rask Madsen, Professor, University of Copenhagen / Director of iCourts, Centre of Excellence
  • Ragnhildur Helgadóttir, Professor, Reykjavik University

Project leader

Malcolm Langford

Events

2022

Book launch- Limits of the Legal Complex: Nordic Lawyers and Political Liberalism

Nordic Branding along with the research group Law, Society, and Historic Change are launching the book Limits of the Legal Complex: Nordic Lawyers and Political Liberalism edited by Professor Malcolm Langford and Professor Emeritus Malcolm Feeley (UC Berkeley).

Time and place: May 11, 2022 3:00 PM – 4:15 PM, Rettshistorisk samling,Domus Bibliotheca, UiO

The book questions the view that political lawyers are required for the development of a liberal political regime, with case examples across the Nordic region. Its contributors consist of high profile academics from across the region.

The book is available for purchase at the Oxford University Press website. It is also published on Open Access and is available at the same link.

The book launch takes place in Rettshistorisk samling on the ground floor of Domus Bibliotheca at the central city campus, Faculty of Law. The venue can be accessed via the the building's old library.

Programme

15:00-15:10 Introductory remarks by editor Malcolm Langford

15:10-15:35 Talk by book contributor Johan Karlsson Schaffer (University of Gothenburg)

15:35-15:45 Comments by Dag Michalsen

15:45-16:15 Discussion

Description from the OUP website

This insightful volume provides a comprehensive account of the history and politics of lawyers of the last 200 years in the Nordic countries: Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Finland, and Iceland. Topping most global indexes of core civil rights, these states have been found to contain few to no visible legal complexes. Where previous studies have characterized lawyers as stewards and guardians of the law that seek to preserve its semi-autonomous nature, these legal complexes have emerged in a manner that challenges the standard narrative. This book offers rational choice and structuralist explanations for why and when lawyers mobilise collectively for political liberalism. In each country analysis, authors place lawyers in nineteenth century state transformation and emerging constitutionalism, followed by expanding democracy and the welfare state, the challenge of fascism and world war, the tensions of the Cold War, and the latter-day rights revolutions. These analyses are complemented by a comprehensive comparative introduction, and a concluding reflection on how the theory of the legal complex might be recast, making The Limits of the Legal Complex an invaluable resource for scholars and practitioners alike.

Contributors

The book is edited by Malcolm Langford and Malcolm Feeley. The contributors of the book are Johan Karlsson Schaffer (University of Gothenburg), Mikael Rask Madsen (University of Copenhagen), Hans Petter Graver, Esa Konttinen (University of Jyv?skyl?), and Ragnhildur Helgadóttir (Reykjavik University).

Malcolm Langford is Professor of Law at the University of Oslo and one of the editors of the book.

Johan Karlsson Schaffer is a Senior Lecturer at the School of Global Studies, the University of Gothenburg and contributed the chapter ?Sweden: The legal complex in struggles for political liberalism?.

Dag Michalsen is Professor of Legal History at the University of Oslo and is the leader of the research group Law, Society, and Historic Change.

2021

Closing Conference: Nordic Branding – the Politics of Exceptionalism

The closing conference of the project Nordic Branding—The Politics of Exceptionalism takes place 21.-22. October 2021. Highlights are a keynote lecture by Nadia Kaneva on “Simulation Nations” and presentation of new books on branding and circulating Nordic humanitarianism, gender equality, criminal justice, lawyering and the welfare model.

Time and place:  – , Professorboligen, Digital

Information

The Nordics have been described as ‘moral superpowers’, ‘agents of a world common good’ and ‘havens of gender equality’. Over the last five years, the Nordic Branding project has investigated how these labels of exceptionalism emerged and asked: How were these images constructed? Who created them? How are they circulated and maintained? And how are they used in politics and practice?

The closing conference of the project, supported by UiO:Nordic, is a bookend for our official work and offers a time to reflect on the work that has been done, as well as being a step in the ongoing work of brand research.

The event begins with a keynote speaker from the University of Denver—Nadia Kaneva. She will deliver the keynote lecture “Simulation Nations: Hypermediation and the Remaking of the National”.

The event features a series of panels with researchers from the universities of Oslo, South-Eastern Norway, Helsinki, Gothenburg, S?dert?rn, Warwick, Aarhus, Southern Denmark, The Fridtjof Nansen Institute, and the Peace Research Institute Oslo (PRIO) on the construction and circulation of Nordic models, cooperation and identity in diverse fields.

A special feature is many of the newly published and submitted books:

Nordic Gender Branding: Upcoming lecture in the series Constructing Norden

Organised by the National Library of Norway, project leader Eirinn Larsen is to give a lecture on the Nordics' brand as gender equal utopias.

Time and place:  – , Nationalbiblioteket

The event, titled "World Champions of Gender Equality" ("Verdsmeistrar i likestilling") explores the Nordic brand of gender equality: Its historic trajectory, how we "prove" this brand through ex. global indexes, and how this brand is used by the Nordics domestically and internationally. It also asks how realistic this brand really is.

The event is part of a lecture series called Constructions of the Nordic ("Konstruksjoner av Norden") and all of the upcoming lectures in the series can be found in the National Library's event calendar (nb.no). 

The themes of this lecture coincide with the newly published book Gender Equality and Nation Branding in the Nordic Region, of which Larsen was an editor, along with Sigrun Marie Moss and Inger Skjelsb?k.

Participation

The lecture is free and open to the general public. Tickets can be reserved through the National Library's website. It is not necessary to reserve tickets to gain entry, but it does guarantee a seat. The lecture will also be streamed online at the National Library's website as well as on Facebook.

Further information

Eirinn Larsen is the project leader for Nordic Branding and Professor of History at the University of Oslo.

29th May 2021: "Vikingar: Nordens mest kjente merkevare?" with Jón Vi?ar Sigur?sson

Discussion at The Norwegian Festival of Literature about Vikings as a commercial brand for the Nordic region and its cultural value globally.

Time and place:  – , Lillehammer cinema, hall 2

Summary

The event takes place physically in Lillehammer, Norway, but digital participation is also available.

"Vikingar: Nordens mest kjente merkevare?" takes place on Saturday the 29th May, and features Professor of History and Head of the Department of Archaeology, Conservation and History Jón Vi?ar Sigur?sson, as well as Bergsveinn Birgisson, Mona Ringvej, and Tore Skeie. 

The event explores the concept of Vikings as a commercial brand for the Nordics- and its cultural value globally. Both historians and 

This event is made in collaboration with the University of Oslo.

Further information

Jón Vi?ar Sigur?sson is the Head of the Department of Archaeology, Conservation and History (IAKH) and is Professor of Medieval History at the same department.

The Norwegian Festival of Literature takes place between 25th and 30th May, 2021. 

27th May 2021: "Litter?r festaften" with Eirinn Larsen and Tore Rem

An event at The Norwegian Festival of Literature which discusses the Nordic region and what we are known for- gender equality, democracy, societal balance, and the projection of these brands.

Time and place:  – , Maihaugsalen, Lillehammer

Summary

The event takes place physically in Lillehammer, Norway, but digital participation is also available. 

 "Litter?r festaften" takes place on Thursday 27th May. Our project leader Eirinn Larsen and the Director of UiO:Nordic Tore Rem, as well as Bergsveinn Birgisson, Birger Emanuelsen, Cathrine Holst, Jon St?le Ritland, Kalle Moene, Lars Mytting, Marit Eikemo, Nils Petter Molv?r, and Tore Renberg.

This event discusses the Nordic region and what we are known for- gender equality, democracy, societal balance. It involves a discussion about precisely these - or the projection of these - societal values between Eirinn Larsen, Kalle Moene, Cathrine Holst and Tore Rem.

Further information

Eirinn Larsen is the leader of Nordic Branding and professor of History at the University of Oslo.

Tore Rem is the director of UiO:Nordic and is Professor of English Literature at the University of Oslo.

The Norwegian Festival of Literature take place between 25th and 30th May, 2021. 

2020

Explaining Swedish Exceptionalism on COVID-19: Nordic Perspectives

Is the Swedish approach to Covid-19 exceptional? Can we explain the approach based on history or the political system? In this webinar we bring together scholars and scientists from the Nordic countries to try to explain the divergence. 

Time and place:  – , https://uio.zoom.us/j/68916251448

Background

During the last two months, differences in Nordic approaches to Covid-19 have attracted global attention. Sweden's milder lockdown has puzzled observers that have associated the state with strong forms of social control, with its “corona model” now being hailed by the American right.

Moreover, Sweden’s divergence from its neighbors in the early stages of the lockdown has raised questions about the idea of a collective Nordic model.  It has triggered intense cross-Nordic debates – as journalists and opinion defend vigorously their own national approach – and provided a natural experiment for researchers. The differences between the Nordics provide a foundation for comparative research on managing pandemics in countries so often considered similar."

Weighing in on the ongoing debate, we seek to explain the Swedish approach from a Nordic perspective. The idea is to unpack 'Swedish exceptionalism', considering how or whether the difference in approach to Covid-19 is an exceptional case, or if it follows from the history and political context of the different Nordic countries. Bringing together scholars and practitioners from Denmark, Finland, Norway, and Sweden, we hope to have a fruitful discussion on the political, administrative and social differences between the countries, in order to better understand the diverging Nordic approaches.

The panel
  • Bo Rothstein, Professor, University of Gothenburg
  • Bo Lidegaard, Author and Managing Director, Macro Advisory Partners-Europe, and former Editor in Chief of Politiken
  • Johan Strang, Professor, University of Helsinki
  • Kristin Sandvik, Professor, University of Oslo 
Moderators

Professor Tore Rem, University of Oslo / Professor Malcolm Langford, University of Oslo

The event was recorded, watch the webinar on Youtube (youtube.com)

2019

Nordic Narratives of International Law

Two-day conference in Oslo on how international law has been constructed and applied in Nordic public spheres and abroad

Time and place:  – , Professorboligen, University Garden, Karl Johans gate 47

The research group Law, Society and Legal Development and the UiO Nordic projects Nordic Branding: Politics of Exceptionalism and The Public Sphere and Freedom of Expression in the Nordic Countries 1815-1900, will host a conference on the Nordic construction of international law. 

Participants include experts in the field from all the five Nordic countries. Contributions to the seminar will form part of an edited book to be published in English, most likely with Oxford University Press.

The seminar is free and open to those interested, but registration is necessary. 

Program
June 6

11:30 – 12:30 Lunch

12:30: Welcome. Dag Michalsen, Dean, Faculty of Law, University of Oslo

12:35 Panel 1: Theory and Trends

  • Chair: Malcolm Langford, Professor, University of Oslo
  • Small States, Geopolitics and Nordic Constructions of International Law. Iver Neumann, Institute Director NOVA, Oslo Metropolitan University
  • Scandinavian Realism and International Law. Johan Strang, Lecturer, University of Helsinki
  • International Courts and Nordic Politics. Mikael Madsen, Professor, University of Copenhagen
  • Concluding Comment. Geir Ulfstein, Professor, University of Oslo

14:30 Coffee and cake

15:00 Panel 2: Structural Themes in International Law

  • Chair: Astrid Kjeldgaard-Pedersen, Associate Professor, University of Copenhagen
  • Law of the Sea. Kristina Siig, Professor, Syddansk Universitet
  • International Economic Law. Ivar Alvik, Professor, University of Oslo
  • Security Law and Institutions. J?rgen Skjold, Research Fellow, University of Oslo
  • Concluding Comment. Kjersti Lohne, Postdoctoral Fellow, University of Oslo

16:15 Coffee break

16:30 Panel 3: Structural Themes in International Law

  • Chair: J?rgen Skjold, Research Fellow, University of Oslo
  • Migration. Thomas Gammeltoft-Hansen, Professor, University of Copenhagen
  • Human Rights. Johan Karlsson Schaffer, Docent, University of Gothenburg
  • Concluding Comment. Anne Hellum, Professor, University of Oslo. Amanda Cellini, Research Fellow, University of Oslo

19:00 Dinner for speakers 

June 7

09:00 Panel 3: Nordic Actors in International Relations

  • Chair: Ivar Alvik, Professor, University of Oslo
  • Nordic Professor-Politicians and International Law. Dag Michalsen, Dean, University of Oslo
  • Nordic Judges in International Courts. 
    • Astrid Kjeldgaard-Pedersen, Associate Professor, University of Copenhagen
    • Malcolm Langford, Professor, University of Oslo
    • ?yvind Stiansen, Researcher, University of Oslo
  • Stockholm Chamber of Commerce. Daniel Behn, Lecturer, University of Liverpool
  • Concluding Comment
    • Alla Pozdnakova, Professor, University of Oslo
    • Tori Loven Kirkeb?, Research Fellow, University of Oslo

11:30 Planning and way forward. Dag Michalsen, Malcolm Langford, Astrid Kjeldgaard-Pedersen, Ivar Alvik, J?rgen Skjold

12:00 Close

Organizer

Nordic Branding: The politics of exceptionalism and The Public Sphere and Freedom of Expression in the Nordic Countries, 1815-1900

Contact
  • J?rgen Skjold
  • Dag Michalsen
  • Ivar Alvik
  • Malcolm Langford
  • Tori Loven Kirkeb?

Nordic Peace Revisited

Two-day Conference in Oslo that explores the concept and idea of Nordic peace from diverse and interdisciplinary perspectives.

Time and place:  – , PRIO - Hausmannsgate 3 

In contemporary political mythology Norden is both a region of peace – a quintessential Deutschian ‘no-war’ security community of social cohesion and societal resilience – and a region for peace – as active proponents of multilateral peace support, humanitarian and development aid and a rules-based international order. Although questions can be raised about this image it is one that endures, with regional leaders often depicting the Nordic countries as being ‘world leaders in peace’. Indeed, peace has often been portrayed as a Nordic export and competitive edge, with this no less evident than in how the region is often described as possessing unique expertise in conflict resolution and where Nordic peace has been cultivated as a global brand – most evident in the annual awarding of the Nobel Peace Prize by the Norwegian Nobel Committee.

Given the prevalence of such images it is surprising that academic analyses of the phenomenon have been relatively limited. Those that do exist have generally sought to account for the emergence and endurance of Nordic peace either by arguing that it was a product of the Cold War balance of power and/or that it has been fundamentally reliant on the region’s (proclaimed) high levels of cultural commonality and convergence. Both explanations can be challenged. However, broader questions related to the historical development of Nordic peace, its mobilization in foreign policy and its infusion into the identity politics of the region have received less coverage. Meanwhile, discussion of contemporary challenges and potential opportunities for Nordic peace is limited. With the ‘post-Cold War era’ now increasingly depicted as over, and in a context of new regional, European and global challenges, the time is ripe for revisiting theoretical and empirical debates about Nordic peace, and in particular considering how ‘Nordic peace’ is being re-inscribed for a new age.

Program
March 18

Public event - PRIO, Hausmanns gate 3

10:00 – 10:30: Key note - Peter Wallensteen, Professor, Uppsala University

Moderators: Torunn Tryggestad (PRIO) and Malcolm Langford (UiO)

10:30 – 12:00 Panel discussion

Moderators: Torunn Tryggestad (PRIO) and Malcolm Langford (UiO)

  • Ingibj?rg Gissladottir, Director, OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights
  • Kai Eide, Former diplomat, Norway
  • Pernille Kardel, Diplomat, Denmark
  • Pertti Joenniemi, Senior researcher, University of Copenhagen
  • Peter Wallensteen, Professor, Uppsala University

12:00 – 13:00 Lunch

Conference start

13:00-13:15 Welcome and opening of conference

Christopher Browning and Marko Lehti

13:15 – 15:00 Panel 1 – Historicizing Nordic Peace

Moderator: Torunn Tryggestad

The Lutheran heritage and political developments in the Nordic community, Hans Morten Haugan, Professor, VID Oslo

Revisiting the early Nordic Peace Movement: Fredrik Bajer and the Pan-Scandinavian Origins of 'Nordic Peace', Frederik Forrai ?rskov, PhD fellow, University of Helsinki

End of Nordic Peace, Johan Strang, Professor, University of Helsinki

15:00 – 15:15 Coffee

15:15 – 17:00 Panel 2 – Nordic peace identities and brand(s)

Moderator: Inger Skjelsb?k

Mapping Nordic Cooperation and the potential of the “Nordic peace brand”, Isabel Bramsen and Anine Hagemann, Postdoc and PhD fellow University of Copenhagen

Nordic Peace between geopolitics and status, Kristin Kam?y, Griffith’s Asia Institute

A Community of the Like-Minded or Geopolitics of Small States? Development as Peace in the Nordic Commitment to NIEO in the 1970s and Agenda 2030 in the 2010s, Carl Marklund, Postdoc, S?dert?rn University

Finnish Commitments to a Post-Cold War CSCE and a New Russia, Bradley Reynolds, PhD fellow, University of Helsinki

18:30 Conference dinner for participants at Süd?st

March 19

09:00 – 10:30 Panel 3 Theorizing Nordic Peace

Moderator: Marko Lehti

Stuck in the middle with you, Benjamin de Carvalho and Hallvard Leira, Senior researchers NUPI

Are we a happy family? A sociology of Norden, Thiago Babo, PhD Fellow, Unviersity of S?o Paulo

Nordic identity without Nordic Peace? Ontological security in the 21st century, Matilda Af Hallstrom, PhD Fellow, University of Helsinki

Fantasy, Ontological Security and the Stickiness of the Nordic Peace Brand, Christopher Browning, Professor, University of Warwick

10:30 – 10:45 Coffee

10:45 – 12:15 Panel 4 - Nordic Peace as model for others

Moderator: Malcolm Langford

Exporting Nordic Peace: Can the Nordic Model Operate in the Postsocialist EU? Robert Imre, Researcher, University of Tampere

‘‘Sae come aa ye at hame wi’ Freedom’: Imagining Scotland’s future role and relationship with a Nordic-style peacebuilding’, Struan Kennedy

Time’s arrow: Adaptation in the Norwegian peace and its discursive mechamism, Javier Fabra-Mata, Norwegian Church Aid

12:15 – 13:00 Lunch

13:00 – 14:30 Panel 5 – Nordic peace-making/peace policies

Moderator: Christopher Browning

The Birth of Nordic Peacekeeping: Can It Withstand Closer Scrutiny?, Martin Ottovay J?rgensen, Assistant Professor, Aalborg University

Norway’s Peace Engagement: What’s Gender Got to Do with It? Torunn Tryggestad and Inger Skjelsb?k, Deputy Director and Research Professor PRIO

Exploring the Nordic Way: Cooperative Interaction between Official and Private Peacemakers, Marko Lehti, Professor, TAPRI

14:30 – 14:45 Coffee

14:45 – 15:30 Way forward

Nordic Peace Revisited (Public Event)

Is there a Nordic peace model? How do the Nordic countries use peace as an identifier to create an international brand or a national identity? 

Time and place:  – , PRIO, Hausmanns gate 3

The Nordic countries are often held up as exemplars in debates about international politics. Be it in terms of their proclaimed environmentalism, their promotion of gender equality, or their support for humanitarian causes and multilateral peace support through the United Nations, the Nordic countries are often depicted as world leaders. Nordic peace, however, also raises many questions. Theoretically and historically important questions can be asked as to how the emergence and development of Nordic peace can be best explained and accounted for.

There are also important questions to consider as to how Nordic peace has become internalized in the self-identity narratives of the different nations, and the extent to which, in more recent years, Nordic peace has become reconceptualised as a brand. It is also important, therefore, to consider how Nordic peace has been integrated into the foreign policy approaches of the different nations, and also to interrogate the extent to which (self-)understandings of Nordic peace may have changed over time. This latter is particularly pertinent in a context of renewed militarism within the region, where Nordic peace is being refashioned towards a new regional and global context.

The aim of this event is to invite reflections from a set of uniquely knowledgeable observers who have different experiences and observations to discuss the trajectories, manifestations and challenges of the concept of Nordic Peace.

Program

10:00– 10:05: Welcoming remarks by PRIO director Henrik Urdal

10:05 – 10:30

Key note - Peter Wallensteen, Professor, Uppsala University

10:30 – 12:00 Panel discussion 

* Ingibj?rg Gissladottir, Director, ODIHR (OSCE)

* Kai Eide, Former diplomat, Norway

* Pernille Kardel, Diplomat, Denmark

* Pertti Joenniemi, Senior researcher, University of Copenhagen

* Peter Wallensteen, Professor, Uppsala University

Moderators: Torunn Tryggestad (PRIO) and Malcolm Langford (UiO)

About the panel

Ingebj?rg Gissladottir is Director of the OSCE Office for Democratic Institutions and Human Rights. Gissladottir was Minster of Foreign Affairs on Iceland from 2007-2009, and has previously served as country representative to UN Women in Afghanistan.

Kai Eide is a former Norwegian diplomat. While working as a diplomat Eide served as UN Special Representative to Afghanistan and Special Envoy to the UN Secretary General in Kosovo and has served as ambassador for Norway to OSCE and NATO.

Pernille Kardel is a Danish diplomat with more than 25 years of experience from diplomacy and international cooperation. Most recently she served as UN Special Coordinator for Lebanon. Before that she was the Deputy Special Representative of the Secretary-General for the UN Assistance Mission in Afghanistan (UNAMA).

Pertti Joenniemi is a researcher at the Karelian Institute, University of Eastern Finland. Joenniemi previously worked as a senior research fellow at the Danish Institute for International Studies at the University of Copenhagen and Copenhagen Peace Research Institute (COPRI).

Peter Wallensteen is Senior Professor of Peace and Conflict Research at Uppsala University and Senior Research Professor Emeritus of Peace Studies, University of Notre Dame. Until 2015 he directed the Uppsala Conflict Data Program (UCDP) and led the Department of Peace and Conflict Research, Uppsala University 1972-1999.

Registration

The event is free and open to all, but registration is required. To register, please follow this link (prio.org).

Gender, Diplomacy and Peace

Seminar on feminist foreign policy and the issue of gender in diplomacy and peace processes. 

Time and place:  – , Dragonen, Spr?ngkullsgatan 19

Whereas both diplomacy and peace processes used to be virtually all male terrains with little concern for gender issues, diplomatic interactions have recently seen a large influx of women and much more focus on gender justice. In 2018, the Nobel Peace Prize was awarded to Nadia Murad and Denis Mukwege for their work to end the use of sexual violence as a weapon of war and armed conflict. We invite you to an afternoon of talks and discussion of these groundbreaking developments.

  • What is a feminist foreign policy, and does it work?
  • What difference does the entry of women into diplomacy make?
  • How do international efforts address sexualized violence in conflict?

Ambassador Ann Bernes from the Swedish Ministry for Foreign Affairs will speak about the experiences of pursuing a feminist foreign policy, and leading researchers on gender, diplomacy and peace from the GenDip Program at the University of Gothenburg and the Centre on Gender, Peace and Security of PRIO (Peace Research Institute in Oslo) will present their latest research findings. Among these researchers, professor Inger Skjelsb?k of PRIO is a deputy member of the Nobel Committee that selects the annual Nobel Peace Prize.

Read more, and register for the event (pol.gu.se)

2018

Gender Equality as Branding: Moving Beyond Nordic Exceptionalism

Nordic Branding is hosting a publication-driven workshop on Gender Equality June 20-21.

Time and place:  – , Refsnes Gods

The Nordic Gender Equality Model brand emerged in the 1990s after a period of strong Nordic State feminism and emergence of prominent female politicians. Gender-conscious family policies and female quotas for corporate boards represent its two most distinguishable features. These policies also reinforced and helped modernise the welfarist dimensions of the general Nordic brand. This workshop will explore how (i) gender equality has been branded as a central element of the Nordic model; and (ii) how it is politicized in different contexts.

2017

Branding Nordic Aesthetics

International conference on branding Nordic aesthetics in Oslo.

Time and place:  – , Stallen, Professorboligen, Karl Johans gate 47 

Nordicness, or Nordicity, is a prominent theme today in the cultural industries. Nordic design and fashion, new Nordic cuisine, or Nordic noir are just a few among numerous familiar cultural expressions in the Nordic countries and outside of them. These aesthetics are often facilitated by economic competition but also political projects that depict or promote a Nordic model.

This conference will gather scholars to examine the branding of Nordic aesthetics inside and outside of the Nordic region. The conference organisers aim to focus on studies at the meeting point of aesthetics and industry, or of art and business, in a socio-political context.

Program
THURSDAY NOVEMBER 30

11:30 WELCOME

Welcome and Lunch

12:30 PANEL 1
Chair: Mads Mordhorst, Copenhagen Business School

  • ‘The emotional value of Sweden’: The advertising industry and professionalized export promotion in the 1950s. Nikolas Glover, Uppsala University
  • Branding Democracy. Jeff Werner, Stockholm University

13:30 BREAK

13:35 PANEL 1 CONTINUES
Chair: Mads Mordhorst, Copenhagen Business School

  • Nordic Branding and the Politics of Exceptionalism Malcolm Langford, University of Oslo

Discussion

15:00 BREAK

15:15 PANEL 2
Chair: Veronique Pouillard, University of Oslo

  • ‘The Nordic’ as Style. Ingvild Torsen, University of Oslo
  • Norwegian Wood: The Ethics and Aesthetics of Ecological Design. Kjetil Fallan, University of Oslo

16:15 BREAK

16:20 PANEL 2 CONTINUES

Chair: Veronique Pouillard, University of Oslo
Mads Mordhorst, Copenhagen Business School

Discussion

19:30 DINNER
Dinner for speakers at Brasserie 45, Stortingsgaten 20, 0161 Oslo

FRIDAY DECEMBER 1

09:00 PANEL 1
Chair: Malcolm Langford, University of Oslo

  • Valhalla Modernism: The Aesthetic Branding of ‘Danish Hygge’. Malene Breunig, University of Southern Denmark
  • Cultural inspired packaging design in an age of global influence. Margaret Rynning, Westerdals Oslo School of Art, Communication and Technology (presenting) and Nancy Takeyama, Nanyang Technological. University School of Art, Design and Media
  • Profiling Danish Design – Fashioning and Maintaining the Everyday as
  • Aesthetic Brand. Mads Nygaard Folkmann (presenting) and Hans-Christian Jensen, University of Southern Denmark

10:30 BREAK

10:45 PANEL 2
Chair: Andreas M?rkved Hellenes, University of Oslo/Sciences Po

  • Nordic Noir landscape values. Transnational co-productions, screen
  • tourism and place branding. Anne Marit Waade, Aarhus University
  • The Reinvention of Nordic Terroir and the Making of Gastrotourism Places. Szilvia Gyimothy, Aalborg University
  • Branding the Nordics and clothing the world – Helly Hansen before the
  • new Millennium. Bj?rg Holsvik, ?stfoldmuseene

12:15 LUNCH

13:00 PANEL 3
Chair: Patrick Bernhard, University of Oslo

  • Dugnad for the Displaced. Kristian Bj?rkdahl, University of Oslo
  • ‘Norway could be Europe’s green battery’ – The forming of the narrative of Norway as a leading renewable energy producer (1880-1945). Julia Erol, University of Trondheim/Heidelberg University
  • Nordic Happiness and Swedish Solutions. The Swedish Pavilion at Expo’37 in Paris. Andreas M?rkved Hellenes, University of Oslo/Sciences Po

Nordic Branding Kick-Off Conference

The conference will contain plenary sessions to discuss analytical themes, present research plans, and decide on the future schedule for Nordic Branding.

Time and place:  – , Refsnes gods (Godset 5, 1518 Moss)

Nordic Branding Kick-Off Conference, Refsnes Gods Hotel

Day 1, Monday 12 June 2017

The bus leaves at 10:30 from Universitetsplassen (Address: Karl Johans gate 47) Estimated arrival at Refsnes gods: 11:45

1. Opening Session: 12:00-13:00

Welcome: Malcolm Langford, Professor, Faculty of Law, University of Oslo

Presentations:

Branding Nordicity Christopher Browning, Reader, University of Warwick Comment: Exporting Nordicity Kjersti Lohne, Postdoctoral Fellow in Criminology, University of Oslo

Lunch 13:00-14:00

2. Cross-Cutting: 14:00-15:45

Introduction: Véronique Pouillard, Associate Professor of History, University of Oslo

Presentation: Studying Agents and Audiences Mads Mordhorst, Associate Professor, Copenhagen Business School

Roundtable:

  • Branding Agents Svein Ivar Angell, Associate Professor of History, University of Bergen
  • Nordic Cooperation Johan Strang, Lecturer, University of Helsinki 
  • The Image and Public Diplomacy of the Nordics Andreas M?rkved Hellenes, PhD Candidate, Department of Archaeology, Conservation and History, University of Oslo and Sciences Po Paris.

Coffee 15:45-16:15

3. Social Welfare and Humanitarianism: 16:15-18:15

Introduction: Sidsel Roalkvam, Associate Professor, SUM, University of Oslo

Presentation: Branding Nordic development cooperation. Sunniva Engh, Associate Professor of History, University of Oslo

Roundtable I:

  • The Nordics and Empire. Kristian Bj?rkdahl, Researcher, SUM, University of Oslo
  • Branding Nordic Humanitarianism. Kristin Bergtora Sandvik, Professor of Legal Sociology, University of Oslo

Roundtable II:

  • Nordicity and Peace. Cecilia Bailliet, Professor, Faculty of Law, University of Oslo
  • Development and Gender. Anne Hellum, Professor, Faculty of Law, University of Oslo
  • 'The Ebola Crisis and Norwegian branding. Antoine de Bengy Puyvallée, Research Assistant, SUM, University of Oslo

Dinner at hotel restaurant: 19:30.

Day 2, Tuesday 13 June 2017

4. Gender Equality: 9:00-11:30

Introduction: Inger Skjelsb?k, Associate Professor in Social Psychology, University of Oslo

Presentation:

Nordic Prostitution Model. May-Len Skilbrei, Professor of Criminology, University of Oslo (with P. ?stergren)

Roundtable I:

  • Gendered diplomacy. Ann Towns, Associate Professor of Political Science, University of Gothenburg
  • Nordic Branding of Gender. Sigrun Marie Moss, Research Fellow in Social Psychology, University of Oslo

Coffee

Roundtable II:

  • Branding Suffrage. Eirinn Larsen, Associate Professor of History, University of Oslo. A Maria M?rk, M.A. Student in History, University of Oslo
  • Branding Gender equality. Irma Erlingsdóttir, Associate Professor and Director Center for Gender Research, University of Iceland
  • Nordic Masculinity.  Karen Victoria Lykke Syse, Associate Professor, SUM, University of Oslo

Lunch & Pillar Planning 11:30-12:30

5. Rights, Democracy and Environment: 12:30-14:15

Introduction: Johan K. Schaffer, Associate Professor of Political Science, University of Gothenburg

Presentation:

  • Crimmigration: A New Nordic Model? Katja Franko, Professor, Faculty of Law, University of Oslo
  • Greening the Nordics. Hallvard Notaker, Associate Professor of History, University of Oslo

Roundtable:

  • Norway, Religion and the European Convention on Human Rights. Kjersti Brathagen, Lecturer, H?gskolen i Telemark, Norway
  • The Ombudsmen.  Ole Kristian Fauchald, Professor, Faculty of Law, University of Oslo
  • Nordic criminal models. Johan Boucht, Professor, Faculty of Law
  • Branding the Nordics to Roma.  Dorina Damsa, Research Fellow in Criminology, University of Oslo
  • Nordic Business and Human Rights Practices Tori Loven Kirkeb?, Senior Executive Officer, PluriCourts, The University of Oslo
6. Closing Session - Way Forward 14:30-16:00

Introduction: Haldor Byrkjeflot, Professor of History and Academic Director of UiO:Nordic, University of Oslo

The bus leaves at 16:15 from Refsnes gods

Estimated arrival at Universitetsplassen: 17:30

In media

What is Norway as a brand?

A podcast episode from Morgenbladet discusses Norway as a brand: Perceptions about the country's values, achievements, and character.  Features project leader Eirinn Larsen and project participant Kristian Bj?rkdahl.

Norway: Uncovering Gender and Branding in the Nordics with Eirinn Larsen

A new podcast episode from Nordics.info featuring our project leader Eirinn Larsen. The overall theme of the episode concerns gender equality as a Nordic brand.

  • The full episode can be found under Nordic.info's own webpage as well as on Spotify, Apple podcasts, Google podcasts, and many other podcast outlets.

Thomas Gammeltoft-Hansen guest appearance on DR Deadline

Professor Thomas Gammeltoft-Hansen appeared as a guest on the Danish broadcaster DR's programme Deadline on 14th May, 2020. Gammeltoft-Hansen appeared on the TV programme to discuss legal as well as economic consequences the global pandemic has caused in the world. 

EKKO: Sp?rretimen- Norsken, svensken og dansken

Eirinn Larsen was a guest at the NRK radio programme EKKO on 20. October 2020.

Chronicling Smittestopp: Game on. Game over. Blame games.

Blog post by Kristin Sandvik about the COVID tracking app Smittestopp.

Cruise ships as a symbol of capitalism

An interview by Markus Bernsen, published on 10. August 2020, which centres around cruise ships as a symbol of capitalism and what has happened to the cruise industry after the pandemic, particularly with the disease outbreak on the cruise ship Diamond Princess.

Cruise ship industry and the pandemic

An interview by Markus bernsen, published on 17. December 2020, which centers around the death of cruise ship mogul Knut Ullstein Kloster, which occured simultaneously as the cruise ship industry as a whole was nearing rock bottom in light of the COVID-pandemic.

Universitetsplassen LIVE: The Nordics in the world 2020

A half-hour long panel about the many perceptions and images of the Nordic region and how they might have been affected by the events of 2020.  Took place on 12. August, 2020 between 16:00 and 16:30. The participants were Hilde Sandvik, Sunniva Engh, and Malcolm Langford. The panel was moderated by Sondre H?laas.