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Anja Dal­gaard-Nielsen

Professor

Subjects
Leadership Geopolitics International relations Security Evaluation Crisis

Primary research areas

Geo­pol­it­ics and busi­ness se­cur­ity
I study how geo­pol­it­ic­al ten­sions and stra­tegic rivalry af­fect risks for com­pan­ies, pub­lic in­sti­tu­tions and so­ci­ety, and how lead­ers can make in­formed de­cisions in un­cer­tain times.
Or­gan­iz­a­tion­al re­si­li­ence
I study how or­gan­isa­tions pre­pare for, re­spond to and re­cov­er from shocks such as cy­ber in­cid­ents, polit­ic­al un­rest and in­ter­na­tion­al crises.
Rad­ic­al­isa­tion and vi­ol­ent ex­trem­ism pre­ven­tion
I study early pre­ven­tion mod­els, exit pro­grammes and com­munity re­si­li­ence, with a fo­cus on what works in prac­tice.
In­tel­li­gence, risk and stra­tegic warn­ing
I study how in­tel­li­gence pro­cesses sup­port de­cision-mak­ing, se­cur­ity plan­ning and crisis re­sponse in both pub­lic and private or­gan­isa­tions.
Civil–mil­it­ary co­oper­a­tion and spe­cial op­er­a­tions
I study strategy, gov­ernance and op­er­a­tion­al dy­nam­ics in small-state de­fence en­vir­on­ments, in­clud­ing the role of spe­cial op­er­a­tions forces.

BUSI­NESS AND LEAD­ER­SHIP IN THE SHAD­OW OF GEO­POL­IT­IC­AL TEN­SIONS

I work to help businesses, authorities, organisations, decision-makers and students understand and navigate the growing security challenges shaped by geopolitical tensions and technological advancements. My research is informed by my many years of experience from leadership positions in Denmark’s intelligence services, most recently as Director of Intelligence at the Danish Defense Intelligence Service.

I focus on strengthening the ability of companies and public institutions to make better strategic choices under uncertainty. This includes risk assessment, organisational resilience, crisis preparedness and the capacity to act on early warning signals.

My academic work is closely linked to real-world challenges. I have contributed to national and international commissions, including NATO’s Reflection Group and Ireland’s Commission on the Defence Forces, and have communicated research broadly, which was recognised by the Rosenkjær Prize for outstanding dissemination.

At CBS, I aim to bridge research, practice and policy to equip leaders and businesses for a more complex and unpredictable world.

Outside activities

Member, Commission on the Defence Forces, Government of Ireland, 2020–2021

Provided ex­pert­ise to the na­tion­al re­view of Ire­land’s de­fence forces.

Member, NATO Secretary General’s High-Level Reflection Group, 2020–2020

Con­trib­uted to the de­vel­op­ment of NATO’s stra­tegic re­com­mend­a­tions.

Chairman of the Board, Nordic Safe Cities, 2020–2021

Chair of a Nor­d­ic net­work pro­mot­ing safe, re­si­li­ent cit­ies.

Member of the Board, Copenhagen Institute for Future Studies, 2018–2021

Ad­vis­ory work on stra­tegic foresight and fu­ture trends.

Member, Board of Advisors, Center for War Studies, SDU, 2019–2021

Ad­vis­ory role on re­search in war, se­cur­ity and strategy.

Member, Advisory Council, Global Center on Cooperative Security, 2007–2021

Sup­port to in­ter­na­tion­al co­oper­a­tion on coun­terter­ror­ism and se­cur­ity.

Member, Board of Advisors, Royal Danish Defence College, 2014–2019, 2014–2019

Con­trib­uted to stra­tegic de­vel­op­ment and aca­dem­ic dir­ec­tion.

Member, Board of Advisors, Center for Asymmetric Threat Studies, Swedish National Defence College, 2011–2014, 2011–2014

Ex­pert in­put on asym­met­ric threats and coun­terter­ror­ism