I am an Associate Professor of Political Science in the Department of Government at the University of Bergen. Previously I was as humanitarian aid worker with Médecins Sans Frontières in South Sudan, Libya, Egypt, Swaziland and Uganda. 

In my research I am interested in how war, conflict and threats shape our social and political attitudes and behavior. For instance, why do people support violence against the state? Do threats of terrorism make us more liberal and alliance-seeking or conservative and nationalistic? Do wars affect gender relations and women's empowerment, and if so, why and how? Among others, I am currently leading a large ERC-funded research project on the micro-level effects of civil wars on women's empowerment. 

My work has been published or is forthcoming in journals including the American Political Science Review, the American Journal of Political Science, World Politics, the Journal of Conflict Resolution, the Journal of Peace Research and others. 

I am also involved in applied impact evaluations for development and humanitarian organizations in the areas of women's empowerment, political accountability, water and sanitation and climate adaptation including UNICEF, UNHCR, the Welthungerhilfe, Save the Children, the KfW Development Bank, the World Bank, Oxfam and others. 

You can contact me at carlo{dot}koos{at}uib{dot}no