Research Interests My research interests are cross-cutting the fields of humanitarianism, migration, security and technology. In the field of humanitarian studies, I have been interested in Europe’s humanitarian borders, and written about “citizen humanitarianism” as forms of assistance seeking to contest both state-led responses and more organized humanitarian responses. This includes an interest in understanding how citizens and volunteers mobilize in times of crises, across different crises (eg. during the European refugee reception crisis and the Covid pandemic). My long term interest in media narratives of humanitarian crises leads me at the end of 2023 and in 2024 to explore the topic of humanitarian communication as an issue in itself – reshaped by new technologies and evolving expectations. With colleagues, I have studied the emergence of humanitarian technologies and innovation, for my part in particular how accessible technologies like smart phones and social media shape responses and organization of volunteer assistance. My research is also cross-cutting with security studies and migration studies, where I have studied the EUs external border management, migration policies, border surveillance in the Mediterranean as well as state-led and NGO-led Search and Rescue efforts at sea. Since joining PRIO in 2011, I have been central in building up the Humanitarianism Research group and the Norwegian Centre for Humanitarian Studies (NCHS), which I led from 2016-2020, and have co-led since early 2021.

Additional experience and international research mobility: 2009-2011: Lecturer, Master of Conflict Analysis and Peacebuilding, Institut d'Etudes Politiques, Sciences Po, Lille, France 2007 and 2009: Guest researcher at Cedej, Khartoum, Sudan 2005 and 2007: Guest researcher at NUPI, Oslo, Norway 2007: Intensive Arabic language course, IFPO Damascus, Syria 2008: Visiting Scholar at SIPA, Columbia University, New York, United States

University lecturing: 2009-2011, Sciences Po Lille: Courses on International Relations, Conflict Analysis and Peacebuilding and Mediatization of Conflicts 2008-2011, SciencesPo Paris: Courses on World Politics, International Relations and International Management of Armed Conflicts

Other - journalism and international organization: 2004-2009: Correspondent for Morgenbladet (Norwegian weekly), writing mostly from Paris 2004: Journalist, Al Ahram Weekly, International desk, Cairo, Egypt 2005-2006: Assistant to the permanent delegate, Norwegian Delegation to UNESCO, Paris, France

Education:

• Ph.D., Institut d’Etudes Politiques de Paris/SciencesPo (2010). Dissertation title: “The internationalization of the Sudanese conflicts: from South-Sudan to Darfur. Agenda-setting, mobilization and qualifications”
• Research Master, Political science of international relations, Institut d’études politiques de Paris/SciencesPo (2006)
• Master, International Affairs, Major in Security and Conflict Resolution, Institut d’études politiques de Paris/SciencesPo (2005)
• Undergraduate degrees in Sociology (UiO, 2001), Development studies (HiO, 2002), and International relations (SciencesPo, 2003)

Languages spoken: Fluent / bilingual level: Norwegian, French, English Basic conversation /understanding: Arabic, German