Helge Blakkisrud

Helge Blakkisrud is an Associate Professor at the University of Oslo's Department of Literature, Area Studies and European Languages (ILOS), specializing in Russian politics, nationalism, and de facto states. He concurrently holds a part-time Senior Researcher position at the Norwegian Institute of International Affairs (NUPI), where he previously led the Research Group on Russia, Asia and International Trade (2014–2020).

His research examines Russian federalism, center-periphery relations, ethnic conflicts, and unrecognized states in Eurasia. Key themes include nation-building strategies in post-Soviet states, Arctic governance, and the geopolitics of de facto entities like Abkhazia and Transnistria. Blakkisrud employs interdisciplinary approaches bridging political science, international relations, and area studies.

Blakkisrud's publications reveal a consistent focus on sovereignty dilemmas, identity politics, and regional power dynamics. Recent works analyze patron-client relationships in Eurasian de facto states, Russian conservatism under Putin, and the interplay between trade and legitimacy in contested territories. Methodologically, his work emphasizes comparative case studies and policy analysis.