Jardar N Østbø

Heads the Russian Security and Defence Programme.

Ph.D. in Russian Studies from the University of Bergen (2011), MA in Russian (2004) from the University of Oslo. Postdoctoral Research Fellow, NEPORUS project (New Political Groups and the Russian State), University of Oslo (2014–2017). Political analyst, Norwegian Armed Forces (2011–2014).

Jardar Østbø has also taught Russian history and society at the University of Oslo, Russian literature and culture at the University of Bergen, and Albanian language.

Previously, he has served as an Albanian–Norwegian interpreter in the Norwegian KFOR on the Balkans. He has also had assignments as an adviser/Russian-Norwegian interpreter for the Governor of Svalbard. A member of the Norwegian Association of Literary Translators, Østbø has translated Albanian and Russian literature into Norwegian.