Researcher
Morten Bøås
Contactinfo and files
Summary
Morten Bøås (PhD) is Research Professor and works predominantly on issues concerning peace and conflict in Africa, including issues such as land rights and citizenship conflicts, youths, ex-combatants and the new landscape of insurgencies and geopolitics.
Bøås has authored, co-authored and co-edited several books and published a number of articles for academic journals. He has conducted in-depth fieldwork in a number of African countries and travelled widely elsewhere on the continent.
Expertise
Education
2001 Dr.Polit. (Ph.D) in Political Science, University of Oslo
1995 The CRE/Copernicus Seminar on Environmental Law
1994 Cand.Polit., in Political Science, University of Oslo
Work Experience
2013- Research professor, NUPI
2010-2012 Head of Research, Fafo’s Institute for Applied International Studies
2002-2010 Research Fellow, Fafo
Aktivitet
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Clear all filtersResearchers warn against risky returns and relocations in Nigeria
Breakfast seminar: How the former jihadis who took over Damascus embraced politics and toppled the Assad regime
The Assad-family has ruled over Syria for more than 50 years. In December, it took opposition groups less than two weeks to overthrow the regime.
The IDP situation in Borno State, Nigeria – returning to uncertainty?
Nigeria is faced with a protracted displacement crisis caused by jihadist insurgencies, banditry and natural disasters. This crisis is particularly manifest in the north-east, where for more than 12 years over 2 million people have been forced to move in to, out of and between internally displaced person (IDP) camps and informal settlements. Some have tried to return home or resettle to another community, only to have to move again. All suffer from limited access to essential services such as healthcare and education, and deficiencies in food security and adequate shelter. Moreover, the young age of the IDP population means many camp residents have few, if any, memories of their lives prior to leaving their homes of origin. The state of Borno is one of the most affected in Nigeria. Here, about 900,000 people continue to live in about 65 formal and 158 informal camps. In 2021, Borno State Governor Prof Babagana Umara Zulum began the process of closing the camps and returning IDPs to their homes of origin. While more than 100,000 people have already moved out of the camps, uncertain remains as to what the majority of IDPs will do once the camps are closed. This report aims to fill this knowledge gap by presenting a foresight study that, coupled with analysis of previous studies, draws on ethnographic data and field observations collected among IDP populations around Maiduguri in October 2024. The foresight analysis framework used relies on three inter-related factors: 1) the weight of history; 2) the contradictions of the present; and 3) the pull of the future. While this method cannot offer statistical representativity, it does allow for indicative scenarios encompassing known (albeit uncertain) risks and probable futures. These scenarios are not only valuable for policy planning, but constitute important pilot data for larger, more systematic studies going forward.
Emerging powers, the G20, and reform of multilateral institutions
Emerging powers are becoming increasingly important in the global economy, are being courted for support by both the US and China and make up a powerful bloc within informal governance institutions such as the G20. They also voice increasingly vocal calls for reform of the UN, the World Bank and the IMF. This report analyzes how Brazil, India, Indonesia, Nigeria, and South Africa see key reform issues and how they prioritize among different foreign policy objectives in the context of the agenda of the G20.
Tax and state-society relations – is there such a thing as a fiscal contract?
Is there truly such a thing as a fiscal contract? Could other factors beyond fiscal exchange play a more important role in shaping social contracts in certain societies? What limitations does the fiscal contract model have, and what implications does this have for development policies in different contexts? This seminar will explore these questions and challenge conventional understandings of the fiscal contract.
NUPI på Arendalsuka: Her finner du oss
Hvordan havnet Wagner i Afrika?
De lager vodka, har satt i gang en ølkrig med Frankrike, driver gruver, og lar en langhåret hipstertype i dress drive propagandamaskineriet. Men k...
Rethinking radicalisation and resilience in Mali and the Sahel
What does resilience against radicalisation and violent extremism look like in Mali and the Sahel? And which drivers are present for the spread of...
NUPIpodden#3: Afrikas opprørere - hvem er de?
NUPI-forsker Morten Bøås snakker om sin nye bok "Africa's Insurgents: Navigating an Evolving Landscape. Hvem er disse opprørerne? Og hva kjenneteg...
Understanding the roots of Kurdish resilience to violent extremism in Iraq
What are the reasons behind the limited impact of violent extremism and the Islamic State in the Kurdistan region of Iraq? In this episode of the...