Nik. Brandal

Nik. Brandal is Associate Professor specializing in political radicalization, genocide studies, social democracy and the Nordic Model.

Prior to joining Oslo New University College in 2017, he was a PhD-scholar at the University of Oslo, where he also worked as coordinator for the Forum for Contemporary History (FOSAM) (2007-2008) and Network for the Study of Totalitarianism and Democracy (NEST) (2012- ), and as assistant professor in history at Volda University College (2017-18). In 2014-15 he was project manager for historical research at the government appointed Tater/Romani Committee examining the policies and measures towards Tater/ Romani people from the 1800s to the present (Romani).  He is currently the department head of research at ISIR. 

Ongoing research
Nik. is currently researching the challenges and policies of social democratic parties in urban areas in the 21st century and Norwegian migration- and population control policies during the First World War, as well as finishing a textbook on genocide and political violence. 

Select publications
‘A transatlantic connector: Bjarne Braatøy in the intersections of intelligence and social democracy 1923–57’ (Bloomsbury 2023, w/ Eirik Wig Sundvall in di Donato & Fulla (eds.), Leftist Internationalisms: A Transnational Political History); ‘Norway’ (Cambridge U.P. 2023 in Stan & Nedelsky (eds.), Encyclopedia of Transitional Justice, vol. 4); ‘Surveillance in Scandinavia during World War One’ (Routledge 2021, w/ E. Brazier & O. Teige in Marklund & Skouvig, eds., Histories of Surveillance from Antiquity to the Digital Era: The Eyes and Ears of Power); Politisk vold: Ekstremisme eller strategi?  [Political Violence: Extremism or strategy?] (Dreyers 2021, ed. w/ Ø. Sørensen & B. Hagtvet); Social Democracy in the 21st Century (Emerald Insight 2020, ed. w/ Ø. Bratberg & D.E.Thorsen); ‘Intelligence and Espionage (Norway)’ (Freie Universität Berlin 2020, w/ O. Teige in Daniel [et al.], eds. 1914-1918-online. International Encyclopedia of the First World War);  ‘Between Communitarianism and Individualism: The Nordic Way of Doing Politics’ (Routledge 2018, w/ D.E. Thorsen in Witoszek & Midtun, eds., Sustainable Modernity); Det norske demokratiet og dets fiender [Norwegian Democracy & It’s Enemies] (Dreyer 2018, w/ Ö. Sörensen); Nasjonale minoriteter og urfolk i norsk politikk fra 1900 til 2016 [Norwegian Policies toward National Minorities and Indigenous People  1900-2016] (Cappelen Akademisk 2017, ed. w/ I.T Plesner & C.A. Døving); ‘Small-state Scandinavia: Social Investment or Social Democracy?’ (Edward Elgar Publishing 2015, w/ Ö. Bratberg in Baldersheim & Keating, eds., Small States in the Modern World); ‘Cousins Divided? Path dependence and political kinship between Scotland og Norway’ (Edinburgh U.P. 2015, w/ Ø. Bratberg in Bryden [et al] (eds.), Northern Neighbours – Scotland og Norway since the Middle Ages); The Nordic Model of Social Democracy (Palgrave MacMillan 2013, w/ Ö. Bratberg & D.E. Thorsen), and ‘The secret battlefield: Intelligence and counter-intelligence in Scandinavia during the First World War’ (Nordic University Press 2012, w/ O. Teige in C. Ahlund (ed.), Scandinavia in the First World War: Studies in the War Experience of the Northern Neutrals)