Kristin Ven Bruusgaard

Kristin Ven Bruusgaard is an Affiliate at the Center for International Security and Cooperation (CISAC), Stanford University, and a former Postdoctoral Fellow and Assistant Professor of Political Science at the University of Oslo. She previously held fellowships at CISAC, including the Stanton Nuclear Security Predoctoral Fellowship and Nuclear Security Postdoctoral Fellowship. She currently serves as Director of the Norwegian Intelligence School and was Deputy Leader of the 2021 Norwegian Government Defense Commission.

Her research focuses on Soviet and Russian nuclear strategy, nuclear and non-nuclear deterrence, and crisis dynamics in Europe and the Arctic. She holds a Ph.D. in Defence Studies from King's College London and an MA in Security Studies from Georgetown University. As a certified language officer in the Norwegian Army, she brings operational experience to her academic work.

Her publications appear in leading journals such as Foreign Affairs, Security Dialogue, Journal of Strategic Studies, Survival, and Bulletin of the Atomic Scientists. Her recent work explores crisis stability in the context of digital information ecosystems and strategic competition.

She was awarded the 2020 Amos Perlmutter Prize by the Journal of Strategic Studies for her article "Russian Nuclear Strategy and Conventional Inferiority." Her research bridges academic theory and policy-relevant analysis, contributing to global debates on nuclear risk and security.

Dr. Bruusgaard has advised on national defense policy and continues to influence strategic thinking through her publications, affiliations, and leadership roles in defense education and intelligence training.