Historian and PRIO Research Professor Hilde Henriksen Waage has been awarded the 2026 Freedom of Expression Prize by the Fritt Ord Foundation, in recognition of her decades-long commitment to critical, research-based inquiry and public debate.
According to the foundation, Waage receives the award for her “critical and courageous research and fearless critique of power over several decades,” as well as her persistent efforts to promote transparency in Norwegian foreign policy.
Waage has been a central scholar of the Middle East and the Oslo peace process, and her work has challenged dominant narratives about Norway’s role as a peace nation. Through extensive archival research, she has repeatedly raised concerns about missing or inaccessible documents related to Norwegian Middle East diplomacy, and has called for greater openness as a prerequisite for robust, evidence-based scholarship.
Her research and public engagement have, at times, met resistance from political and institutional actors. Nevertheless, Waage has remained a consistent advocate for transparency and critical scrutiny, highlighting how access to information is essential for both academic inquiry and democratic accountability.
PRIO Director Nina Græger emphasized the broader importance of the award:
”Hilde Henriksen Waage’s uncompromising pursuit of the truth, questioning of establishment narratives, and demand for greater transparency in Norway’s foreign policy, are absolutely central to society – especially at a time when the struggle over truth worldwide is more intense than ever.”
The award comes at a time of increasing public debate about transparency, institutional trust, and access to information in foreign policy. Waage’s work underscores the role of independent research in questioning established assumptions and contributing to a more informed public discourse.
For PRIO, the recognition highlights the importance of combining academic rigor with a willingness to challenge prevailing narratives – an approach that remains essential in today’s complex and contested information landscape.
You can read more about the Fritt Ord Prize here.
