Eva Fetscher will be defending her PhD dissertation in History titled The Peace Prophet and the Iconoclast. The Chair in Conflict and Peace Research at the University of Oslo, 1963–1985 on Friday 18 October. The dissertation discusses the lobbying that led to the establishment of the chair in conflict and peace research that was held by Johan Galtung 1969–77, the struggle over the succession, and Øyvind Østerud’s tenure from 1980 and his decision to change the designation of the chair to ‘international conflict studies’. Although the main focus is on events at the University of Oslo, the dissertation contains a great deal of discussion of the history of PRIO and of peace research in general.

The dissertation defense takes place on Friday 18 October 09:15 in Auditorium 4, Eilert Sundts hus, the Blindern campus of the University of Oslo. The first opponent is Johnny Laursen, Aarhus University and the second opponent Monika Pohle Fraser, State University New York, Firenze. Tor Egil Førland, Universitety of Oslo (and former PRIOite) is the administrator of the committee.

The PhD candidate’s trial lecture (‘Major trends in international peace research after 1970’), takes place on Thursday 17 October at 17:15, in Auditorium 2, Georg Sverdrup’s House, also at Blindern.

The press release from the University of Oslo can be read here.