News & Events
The latest updates from the VIEWS consortium
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Posted on 25 Feb 2025
Chandler Williams presents his doctoral research to the PM of Kosovo
Doctoral Researcher Chandler Williams recently presented his ongoing work to the Kosovar Government at the international academic conference of the Institute for Crimes Committed During the Kosovo War. The conference, entitled “The Scale, Legacy, Documentation and Adjudication of Crimes Committed in Kosovo”, took place on February 18 in Prishtina, Kosovo. Chandler’s research highlights the risks…
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Posted on 25 Feb 2025
Meet VIEWS at ISA in Chicago
On 2-5 March, several members of the VIEWS team will be in Chicago for the International Studies Association (ISA) conference, “Reconnecting International Studies”, where VIEWS is exhibiting and participating in a series of exciting panel sessions and roundtable discussions. Come find us at the VIEWS booth in the Exhibition Hall at Chicago Hilton to learn…
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Posted on 25 Feb 2025
VIEWS Welcomes ML Developer Sonja Hæffner to the Team
We are thrilled to welcome a new Machine Learning Developer to VIEWS: Sonja Hæffner! Sonja has a background in Econometrics, Machine Learning and Data Science. Most recently, she worked as a Research Associate at the Center for Crisis Early Warning at the University of the Bundeswehr Munich. Her research involved incorporating text data into crisis…
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Posted on 25 Feb 2025
VIEWS Hosts Brownbag with Dr. Vassili Kitsios on Machine Learnt Climate Emulators for Risk Assessments
On February 25, VIEWS hosted a virtual Brownbag seminar featuring a presentation on the working paper “Rapid Machine Learnt Climate Emulators Enabling Broader Risk Assessments.” The paper explores the role of machine learning in enhancing climate risk assessments and was presented by Dr. Vassili Kitsios. The research underscores the urgent need to assess climate risk…
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Posted on 31 Jan 2025
From Newswire to Nexus: Using Text-Based Actor Embeddings and Transformer Networks to Forecast Conflict Dynamics
Abstract This study advances the field of conflict forecasting by using text-based actor embeddings with transformer models to predict dynamic changes in violent conflict patterns at the actor level. More specifically, we combine newswire texts with structured conflict event data and leverage recent advances in Natural Language Processing (NLP) techniques to forecast escalations and de-escalations…
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Posted on 31 Jan 2025
Forecasting battles: New machine learning methods for predicting armed conflict
Abstract Over the past decade, the field of conflict forecasting has undergone a remarkable metamorphosis, transforming from a series of isolated efforts with low predictive power into large, globe-spanning projects with impressive performance. However, despite this evolution, many challenges still remain. First, while we are good at predicting absolute risks, we are poor at predicting…
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Posted on 31 Jan 2025
VIEWS Researcher Stefan Döring Speaks on War’s Impact on Water Access at Geneva Water Hub Seminar
On December 10th, VIEWS researcher Stefan Döring presented insights on the impact of war on water access and society during a seminar organized by the Geneva Water Hub at the University of Geneva. The seminar, focused on turning water diplomacy research into action, brought together experts to discuss the challenges of bridging science and policy…
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Posted on 31 Jan 2025
“Spikning”: Mihai Croicu nails his dissertation to the department wall in anticipation of PhD defence
Huge congratulations to our very own Mihai Croicu, who nailed his dissertation to the kitchen wall at the Department of Peace and Conflict Research, Uppsala University, yesterday! Mihai has been an integral part of VIEWS since its very inception in 2017, and can in less than 2 months’ time prefix his name with the prestigious…
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Posted on 31 Jan 2025
Harnessing AI: How to develop and integrate automated prediction systems for humanitarian anticipatory action
Abstract: Despite unprecedented access to data, resources, and wealth, the world faces an escalating wave of humanitarian crises. Armed conflict, climate-induced disasters, and political instability are displacing millions and devastating communities. Nearly one in every five children are living in or fleeing conflict zones (OCHA, 2024). Often the impacts of conflict and climatic hazards –…
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Posted on 31 Jan 2025
VIEWS Hosts Brownbag on Conflict and Child Malnutrition in Africa
On January 28, VIEWS hosted a virtual Brownbag seminar featuring a presentation on the working paper “Civilian Conflict and the Nutritional Status of Children: A Bayesian Analysis of Survey Data from Affected Populations in Africa.” The paper, authored by Thomas Jideofor Ogbu, Rebecca Louise Jones, and Debarati Guha-Sapir, examines the complex relationship between armed conflict…
