ASC Seminar - Observations and Reflections from Overland Expeditions across Western, Southern and Eastern Africa
Conveners: Wale Adebanwi, Julia Viebach, Tim Livsey
Speaker: Arne Elias Corneliussen (Norwegian Risk Consulting International – NRCI)
Mr. Arne Elias Corneliussen visited over 40 countries in Africa and he conducted a range of long fact-finding expeditions alone by public bus across 28 countries in western, southern and eastern Africa. His unique anthropologic approach to gain on the ground insights into local communities and conditions informs his thinking about infrastructure developments, societal structures, tribal dynamics, logistical and transport corridors and political and security risks.
In his talk he will show photographs he took while travelling by public bus across a range of countries and vast territories in western, southern and eastern Africa. This talk will be a unique photographic presentation where Mr. Corneliussen also shares from his personal experiences and perspectives about the real situation on the ground and how that informs our thinking about the political, security and human condition across western, southern and eastern Africa.
Mr. Corneliussen’s photographic presentation illuminates realities on the ground that go beyond mere statistics and news headlines. By observing local conditions, spending months travelling across Sub-Saharan Africa and listening to local people with respect and humility, Mr. Corneliussen gained an intimate and sober understanding for the conditions, huge potential and human experiences. Mr. Corneliussen’s talk provides an eye-opening experience for those who attend. You will be left with new insights, experiences and energized to continue your study and research into the vast human, cultural, political and geographic landscapes of Africa.
Arne Elias Corneliussen
Founder and Managing Partner
NRCI
Arne Elias Corneliussen, aged 42, is the founder and managing partner of Norwegian Risk Consulting International (NRCI). He formed NRCI in 2010. NRCI provides geopolitical risk analysis, operational and strategic advisory services and hosts the annual international Norwegian Risk Forum. Mr. Corneliussen developed a genuine passion for international relations and history at a very young age. Regular travels around the world from an early age formed his international personality and zest for exploration.
Originally from Oslo, Mr. Corneliussen received his bachelor of arts in political science from Wittenberg University in Ohio in 1998. He studied at the American University in Cairo (AUC) in Egypt in 1996. He then returned to the US where he mapped Islamist movements from Morocco to the Philippines at the Center for Strategic & International Studies (CSIS) in Washington, D.C in 1998. He lived in Santiago, Chile in 1999 where he examined South America´s political situation, economic development, drug cartels in Colombia and strategic relations between South America, North America and Europe. During the late 1990s he attended a range of conferences in Washington, D.C., New York City, London and Cairo. He completed a Master of Arts in International Relations and a Master of Public Administration (MPA) at the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs at Syracuse University in New York in 2000. After completing his studies he served two years in the military and he spent one year as an officer with the NATO forces in Kosovo. Subsequently he worked seven years in the corporate sector before founding NRCI.
Mr. Corneliussen regularly conducts long overland fact-finding expeditions where he maps political, security and business risks, infrastructure developments, logistical and transport corridors, and expands a broad network with local contacts. He travelled on 10 fact-finding expeditions to 42 countries in Africa and he crossed 28 countries in western, southern and eastern Africa alone by public bus. By travelling overland by bus across vast areas in western, southern and eastern Africa he gained intimate on the ground insights. In the fall of 2017 Mr. Corneliussen also travelled on a fact-finding expedition by train, bus and shared taxis from Shanghai across China, Central Asia and the Caucasus to Istanbul to map infrastructure developments, logistical clusters and the geopolitical landscape along the One Belt One Road – the New Silk Road developed by China. Mr. Corneliussen connects with local communities and people by showing deep respect, humility and listening.
He travelled to more than 110 countries in Africa, Asia, the Middle East, Latin and North America and Europe. Mr. Corneliussen is a Fellow in the Royal Geographical Society in London.
