Varða appoints ten non-resident Fellows

Varða has appointed ten non-resident Fellows for 2026–2027. Their expertise spans the fields that shape Iceland's national security and resilience, from international law, cyber defence and space technology to supply security, Arctic affairs and diplomacy. Among them are senior staff at NATO and the NATO Parliamentary Assembly, a former US Chargé d'affaires in Reykjavík and a former Deputy National Commissioner of the Icelandic Police.

“Iceland's security expertise is spread across universities, government, business and international institutions. By appointing them as Fellows, Varða gains their expertise and networks, and the Fellows gain support for their research and publications.”

Kristinn Árni L. Hróbjartsson, Executive Director and Co-founder of Varða

Varða Fellows 2026–2027

Dr. Bjarni Már Magnússon is a partner at Polestar Legal and a former professor at Reykjavík University and Bifröst University. He serves on the Icelandic Climate Council, is a frequent media commentator and regularly appears before Alþingi’s standing committees.

Dr. Björn Rafn Gunnarsson is the lead Data Scientist for the J10 StratCom division at SHAPE, NATO's Supreme Headquarters Allied Powers Europe, where he leads the development of the Information Environment Assessment Capability for Allied Command Operations (ACO). He holds a PhD from KU Leuven.

Brynja Huld Óskarsdóttir directs the Science and Technology Committee of the NATO Parliamentary Assembly in Brussels. She founded and chaired the Icelandic chapter of Women in International Security and is a member of the UNIDIR Expert Network on Governance of AI in the Military Domain.

Erin Sawyer is an adviser and professor of practice at Bifröst University. She served the US government for more than two decades in diplomacy, intelligence and defence, most recently as Chargé d’affaires at the US Embassy in Reykjavík.

Prof. Greg Falco is a visiting professor at Bifröst University and an assistant professor of aerospace engineering at Cornell University, where he leads the Aerospace ADVERSARY lab. He is NATO's point of contact for the HEIST project, which aims to secure communications via satellite if subsea cables are cut.

Guðbjörg Ríkey Th. Hauksdóttir is a PhD candidate at the University of Iceland researching China–Russia relations in the Arctic. She is programme manager at the Centre for Arctic Policy Studies and a fellow with the Arctic Initiative at the Belfer Center, Harvard Kennedy School.

Hafsteinn Hauksson is Chief Economist at Kvika Bank, based in London. His recent work focuses on global trade, supply security and the impact of geopolitical supply shocks on the Icelandic economy.

Dr. María Rún Bjarnadóttir teaches at Reykjavík University's School of Law, specialising in technology law and cybercrime. A former Deputy National Commissioner of the Icelandic Police, she led Iceland's delegation in negotiations on the UN Convention against Cybercrime and sits on GREVIO, the Council of Europe's expert body.

Ragnheiður Björk Halldórsdóttir is an industrial engineer and founder of the consultancy sporin slf. She previously worked at SYSTEMIQ and McKinsey and has led systems change work with governments and companies in Iceland and abroad.

Dr. Sigurður Emil Pálsson is a physicist and risk specialist with four decades of experience preparing societies for man-made threats. He led the development of Iceland's cybersecurity strategy and served as Iceland's first Senior National Representative at the NATO Cooperative Cyber Defence Centre of Excellence in Tallinn from 2022 to 2025.

More on Varða Fellows: varda.org/en/people