This week, Andreas Østhagen received the welcome news that his promotion application had been approved.

'I’ve been working since I was 23, so you could say it took fifteen years of 50-hour weeks to reach this milestone.'

It’s sweltering at the FNI offices on this early April day, but Andreas is fresh in a crisp shirt after hosting a NATO delegation. Becoming a research professor is something he approaches with a touch of reverence.

'The title should carry weight. It doesn’t happen by itself. At the same time, it feels strange to share the title with colleagues who have thirty years more experience than I do.'

He got the news while on an intense work trip to Rome. The week before, he had been at High North Dialogue in Bodø, made it home just in time to give a lecture for the Norwegian Royal Court, contributed to one Reuters and one BBC article both picked up by hundreds of outlets worldwide, appeared on Dagsnytt 18 – Norway’s leading current affairs debate programme – and published a lead op-ed in Aftenposten, the country’s most prestigious venue for opinion pieces. In other words: a typical Østhagen week.

Looking back on the road to becoming research Professor – the title used in Norway’s independent research sector – he credits the support and encouragement from FNI’s leadership.

'With their help, what could’ve stayed a vague ambition became a clear goal, with milestones, a concrete plan, and just the right dose of collegial pressure.'

Original and Prolific

In its statement, the external evaluation committee – Professors Jennifer Welsh (McGill University), Torbjørn Pedersen (Nord University), and Alf Håkon Hoel (UiT – The Arctic University of Norway) – concluded that Østhagen meets all requirements for promotion to Research Professor at FNI. They highlight a substantial scientific output well beyond the doctoral level, marked by quality, theoretical awareness, methodological variety, and thematic breadth.

To qualify, candidates must show strength across two distinct fields. Østhagen’s pillars are:

1. Geopolitics and security relations in the Arctic, where he challenges dominant threat narratives and introduces a subregional approach to security analysis.
2. Ocean governance, maritime boundaries and resource management, where his doctoral work serves as the foundation for a broader agenda exploring how and why states resolve (or fail to resolve) boundary disputes, drawing on both international law and political theory.

The committee describes him as an ambitious and original scholar with a strong ability to communicate research clearly – both within academia and in the public sphere. They also highlight his talent for identifying new research questions, along with achievements in project leadership, dissemination, supervision, and securing external funding.

Time and Timing

'For me, success has come down to time and timing – and a lot of hard work,' he says.
'Time, in the sense that I started young and had kids relatively late. That gave me a few solid years of working long hours.'

Soon, he’ll be clipping on his bike helmet and cycling home to his family.
'I’m only about fifty percent as efficient as I was before becoming a dad,' he says. 'Before the kids came along, I definitely saw research more as a career than just a job.'

As for timing, he notes that it's partly luck that his focus – geopolitics in the North – has become increasingly relevant.

'I’ve always managed to secure the funding and projects I needed to do the research I wanted. I haven’t had to spend an unreasonable amount of time chasing money.'

At an independent research institute like FNI, bringing in your own funding is essential.

'It’s a tough sector – you really have to want it. But success also brings a spiral of work, attention, and opportunities,' says Østhagen, who is – as many colleagues will confirm – known for his healthy dose of FOMO.

Looking ahead, he wants to devote more time to institution-building.

'I want to use the research professorship to help solidify Northern geopolitics and security policy as a serious field of research. And I want to help improve the systems that shape how policymakers receive and use research-based knowledge.'

Policy engagement, he says, is central to the job.

'We researchers produce the knowledge decision-makers need to make good choices – and then we have to help ensure that knowledge is actually used to shape sound, long-term policy.'
 

Three Voices from Polhøgda

Iselin Winther, Researcher at FNI:

Iselin Winther is Østhagen’s right hand. She’s both researcher and fixer in the GeoArc  project.

'It's good he had the sense to realise he might need a bit of help sometimes,' she smiles.
'Working closely with Andreas is great. He’s hardworking, sharp, and incredibly efficient. He’s also generous in giving others opportunities – and has real trust that you’ll deliver. That said, he’s a bit of a control freak, and usually hands you a meticulously crafted plan to execute,' she adds with a grin. 'But that’s a great way to learn.'

Arild Moe, Senior Researcher at FNI:

‘Andreas combines solid academic strength with a keen sense for politically relevant issues and a strong ability to communicate. At the same time, he’s a generous colleague who brings both younger and older researchers into his projects. He has fully deserved his position as a leading scholar in his fields’.

Iver B. Neumann, Director at FNI

'It’s a real pleasure having Andreas as a colleague – academically solid, socially active, full of ideas, and excellent at follow-through. He’s also a wizard at bringing in funding. Research environments often include those who thrive in the proverbial ivory tower, and it’s a real asset to balance that with an Andreas in full flight.'
 

Text: Anna Valberg