- Environmental politics
- Democratization
- Environment and conflict
- Environmental degradation and inequality
- Collective action, protest and climate change
- China and Southeast Asia
- Quantitative methods (using R/Python)
Jens Koning
Research Assistant
Interests and experience
Jens is a research assistant on the ELITE-, NORM and ODAS projects led by Haakon Gjerløw, Ilaria Carozza and Sebastian Schutte. He is perticularly interested in how political institutions affect environmental outcomes in developing countries, and has a regional interest in China and Southeast Asia.
Previously, Jens attended the UiO-PRIO Student Program. Using quantitative methods and geospatial data, his thesis project "Nature as Patronage? Exploring The Effects of Democratization and Support Coalition Identity on Forest Loss" explored whether variation in the identity of incumbent regimes' political supporters can affect forest cover loss when political competition increases.
Education:
2020 – 2022 MSc in Political Science, University of Oslo
2020 – 2020 Chinese Language Program, National Taiwan University
2016 – 2019 BA in International Studies, University of Oslo and Fudan University
2014 – 2015 One-year-program in Psychology, The Arctic University of Norway
Work experience: 2022 – Research Assistant, PRIO
2021 – 2022 Research Assistant, University of Oslo (ELDAR/PoD)
2021 Teaching Assistant, University of Oslo (STV 2250)
2019 – 2020 Intern, Norwegian Consulate General in Shanghai
2018 – 2019 Communications Assistant, Statnett SF
Languages:
English, Norwegian, Dutch and Chinese (intermediate).
Projects
Apr 2023 – Jun 2026
Developmental Peace? Perceptions of China’s Engagement in Pakistan and Afghanistan (AsiaPeace)
Developmental Peace? Perceptions of China’s Engagement in Pakistan and Afghanistan (AsiaPeace)
Dec 2021 – Aug 2025
Shaping the Digital World Order: Norms and Agency along the Digital Silk Road in Southeast Asia (NORM)
Shaping the Digital World Order: Norms and Agency along the Digital Silk Road in Southeast Asia (NORM)
Sep 2021 – Aug 2023
Nature as Patronage? Exploring The Effects of Democratization and Support Coalition Identity on Forest Loss
Nature as Patronage? Exploring The Effects of Democratization and Support Coalition Identity on Forest Loss
Jan 2019 – Dec 2022
EducAid: Improving Education for Rohingya Refugees from Myanmar Living in Bangladesh
EducAid: Improving Education for Rohingya Refugees from Myanmar Living in Bangladesh
Latest publications
Haakon Gjerløw et al. (2022)
Returning to School or Dropping Out after the COVID-19 Closure? Survey Evidence from Rohingya Refugees and Host Communities in Bangladesh
Returning to School or Dropping Out after the COVID-19 Closure? Survey Evidence from Rohingya Refugees and Host Communities in Bangladesh
PRIO Policy Brief by Haakon Gjerløw et al.
Jens Koning (2022)
Nature as Patronage? Exploring The Effects of Democratization and Support Coalition Identity on Forest Loss
Nature as Patronage? Exploring The Effects of Democratization and Support Coalition Identity on Forest Loss
Latest news
Monday, 16 Oct 2023
Stakeholder dialogue held in Manila as part of the NORM project
Stakeholder dialogue held in Manila as part of the NORM project
In September 2023, the PRIO NORM team was in Manila, The Philippines, to conduct fieldwork interviews and meetings with local stakeholders.
Monday, 21 Aug 2023
Kickoff Workshop of the AsiaPeace Project
Kickoff Workshop of the AsiaPeace Project
The AsiaPeace project was successfully launched in August 2023.
Wednesday, 17 Aug 2022
Jens Koning Successfully Defends Master's Thesis
Jens Koning Successfully Defends Master's Thesis
Jens Koning has successfully defended his thesis "Nature as Patronage? Exploring the Effects of Democratization and Support Coalition Identity on Forest Loss".
