Nils Olsen

Nils Olsen is a joint Master in Public Policy and Master of Business Administration candidate at the Harvard Kennedy School of Government and Harvard Business School (class of 2026). He leads research for the Africa Futures Project, where he focuses on African security, development, and the continent’s role in the future of the global order.

Nils is also a research assistant to senior fellow Ian Bremmer, supporting a forthcoming book. His broader academic interests center on the future of the U.S.-European alliance and the role of private capital in shaping a renewed Western-led international order.

Before graduate school, Nils served as an active-duty U.S. Army infantry officer with experience in Europe and Africa. He now advises defense technology startups through NATO’s DIANA innovation accelerator and is currently a George Fellow at the Center for Public Leadership.