Kaja Borchgrevink takes an interest in religion and development, the politics of aid, and everyday religion among Muslims in Norway - often with a focus on gender and transnational perspectives. Kaja is currently working on the project Developmental Peace? Perceptions of China’s Engagement in Pakistan and Afghanistan (AsiaPeace). She has recently completed the HUMA-project, researching Muslim humanitarian actors' approaches to the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs).
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Kaja Borchgrevink
Senior Researcher
Email: kaja@prio.org
X: @KajaBorch
Interests and experience
Work experience:
2017: Senior Researcher, Peace Research Institute Oslo (PRIO) 2006 - 2016 Researcher, Peace Research Institute Oslo (PRIO) 2004 – 2005: Programme Grant Officer, Aga Khan Foundation – Afghanistan 2003 – 2004: Programme Officer, Small Grants Programme Unit, UNDP Pakistan 2001– 2003: Programme Officer, Sustainable Livelihoods Unit, UNDP Pakistan 2001: Intern, Orangi Pilot Project Research an Training Institute (OPP-RTI), Pakistan
Education: 2017: PhD Development Studies, Norwegian University of Life Sciences 2000: MSc Development Studies, School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS), University of London, UK. 1999: Cand. mag. in Hindi-Urdu language studies, History of Religion, South Asia Studies and International Human Rights, University of Oslo.
Languages spoken: English (proficient) Hindi and Urdu (conversational) Norwegian (native)
Projects
All projects
Apr 2025 – Aug 2028
Religious Gender Justice Activism (GenderJustice)
Religious Gender Justice Activism (GenderJustice)
Apr 2023 – Jun 2026
Developmental Peace? Perceptions of China’s Engagement in Pakistan and Afghanistan (AsiaPeace)
Developmental Peace? Perceptions of China’s Engagement in Pakistan and Afghanistan (AsiaPeace)
Jan 2012 –
Norwegian Centre for Humanitarian Studies
Norwegian Centre for Humanitarian Studies
PRIO Fieldwork Network (FIWON)
Jul 2020 – Jul 2024
The Power of Ideas: Muslim Humanitarians and the SDGs (HUMA)
The Power of Ideas: Muslim Humanitarians and the SDGs (HUMA)
Aug 2017 – Dec 2020
FINEX: Financial Exclusion, Islamic Finance and Housing in the Nordic Countries
FINEX: Financial Exclusion, Islamic Finance and Housing in the Nordic Countries
Mar 2015 – Mar 2019
Aid in Crisis? Rights-Based Approaches and Humanitarian Outcomes
Aid in Crisis? Rights-Based Approaches and Humanitarian Outcomes
Apr 2011 – Dec 2015
Private Islamic Charity and Approaches to Poverty Reduction
Private Islamic Charity and Approaches to Poverty Reduction
Apr 2011 – Jun 2017
With Faith in Development: Islamic Charity as Development in Practice?
With Faith in Development: Islamic Charity as Development in Practice?
Jan 2011 – Jan 2013
What's the Deal with Religion? Scrutinizing Religion's role in Peacebuilding
What's the Deal with Religion? Scrutinizing Religion's role in Peacebuilding
Latest publications
All publications
Kaja Borchgrevink et al. (2024)
Insights on Muslim Humanitarians and the Sustainable Development Goals
Insights on Muslim Humanitarians and the Sustainable Development Goals
PRIO Policy Brief
Arne Strand & Kaja Borchgrevink (2024)
Muslim Alms and Humanitarian Financing: An Analysis of the UNHCR’s Refugee Zakat Fund
Muslim Alms and Humanitarian Financing: An Analysis of the UNHCR’s Refugee Zakat Fund
PRIO Policy Brief
Kaja Borchgrevink (2023)
Islamic social finance for sustainable development
Islamic social finance for sustainable development
Conference paper
Kaja Borchgrevink & Arne Strand (2023)
Islamic charity 2.0: Islamic social finance for sustainable development
Islamic charity 2.0: Islamic social finance for sustainable development
Conference paper
Kaja Borchgrevink & Amelia Fauzia (2023)
The Indonesian Zakat Movement: aligning Islam and the SDGs
The Indonesian Zakat Movement: aligning Islam and the SDGs
Conference paper
Kaja Borchgrevink (2022)
Navigating Change: Collaborative Transformation in Balochistan's Education Landscape
Navigating Change: Collaborative Transformation in Balochistan's Education Landscape
Conference paper
Amelia Fauzia & Kaja Borchgrevink (2022)
Covid-19 and Muslim Philanthropy in Indonesia: Technological and Theological Innovations
Covid-19 and Muslim Philanthropy in Indonesia: Technological and Theological Innovations
PRIO Policy Brief
Kaja Borchgrevink, Abdul Rauf & Ihsan Qadir (2022)
Religion and Covid-19: Islamic Scholars and Muslim Humanitarian Actors in Pakistan
Religion and Covid-19: Islamic Scholars and Muslim Humanitarian Actors in Pakistan
PRIO Policy Brief
Kaja Borchgrevink, Marta Bivand Erdal & Ida Roland Birkvad (2022)
En mangfoldig befolkning stiller nye krav til boligmarkedet
En mangfoldig befolkning stiller nye krav til boligmarkedet
Popular article in Utrop
Kaja Borchgrevink & Arne Strand (2022)
Islamic philanthropy and Islamic social finance in humanitarian action
Islamic philanthropy and Islamic social finance in humanitarian action
Popular article in NCHS Blog
Latest news
All news
Friday, 29 Aug 2025
Kickoff Workshop for GenderJustice at PRIO
Kickoff Workshop for GenderJustice at PRIO
The Religious Gender Justice Activism (GenderJustice) project was successfully launched in August 2025.
Monday, 9 Dec 2024
PRIO secures funding for four new innovative projects
PRIO secures funding for four new innovative projects
PRIO has successfully secured funding for four new projects to support research addressing today’s critical societal challenges, including two focused on Norwegian security and defence.
Wednesday, 19 Jun 2024
Project-end workshop: Muslim Humanitarians and the SDGs (HUMA)
Project-end workshop: Muslim Humanitarians and the SDGs (HUMA)
The Power of Ideas: Muslim Humanitarians and the SDGs (HUMA) is coming to an end on 30 June 2024.
Monday, 21 Aug 2023
Kickoff Workshop of the AsiaPeace Project
Kickoff Workshop of the AsiaPeace Project
The AsiaPeace project was successfully launched in August 2023.
Wednesday, 30 Nov 2022
HUMA Project Workshop in Istanbul
HUMA Project Workshop in Istanbul
PRIO’s project ‘The power of ideas: Muslim humanitarians and the SDGs’ (HUMA) successfully organized a workshop in Istanbul from 27 - 30November 2022.
Monday, 29 Aug 2022
Funding for Project on China's 'Developmental Peace' Approach
Funding for Project on China's 'Developmental Peace' Approach
PRIO has received funding from the Research Council of Norway for the 3-year project Developmental Peace? Local Perceptions of China’s Engagement in Pakistan and Afghanistan (AsiaPeace).
Wednesday, 15 Jun 2022
The Women, Peace and Security Index Goes Viral on Social Media
The Women, Peace and Security Index Goes Viral on Social Media
Yesterday, a video featuring the Global Women, Peace and Security Index went viral on TikTok, garnering over 700,000 likes so far.
Monday, 14 Mar 2022
Islamic Finance and Lived Religion in Denmark and Norway
Islamic Finance and Lived Religion in Denmark and Norway
Studies of lived religion among Muslims in Europe increasingly analyse how Muslims’ everyday practices are informed by religious beliefs, norms and values.
Friday, 22 Oct 2021
The 2021/22 Global Women, Peace and Security Index Is Out
The 2021/22 Global Women, Peace and Security Index Is Out
The third edition of the global Women, Peace and Security Index (WPS Index) draws on recognized data sources to measure women’s inclusion, justice, and security in 170 countries.
Monday, 13 Sep 2021
Religious Norms and Homeownership
Religious Norms and Homeownership
In a new article published in the Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies, Kaja Borchgrevink and Ida Roland Birkvad examine how the Islamic prohibition of riba – charged interest (on loans) – shapes ideas about homeownership and housing choices among Muslim professional women in Oslo, Norway.
Latest events
All events
Monday, 7 Apr 2025 09:00–10:00 UTC+02
Pakistan-China Relations in Uncertain Times: Conflict Dynamics and Security Implications
Pakistan-China Relations in Uncertain Times: Conflict Dynamics and Security Implications
Wednesday, 9 October 2024
Muslim Philanthropy and Humanitarian Aid: Transformation, Prospects and Challenges
Muslim Philanthropy and Humanitarian Aid: Transformation, Prospects and Challenges
Thursday, 20 June 2024
Prospects for the utilization of Islamic social finance: diverse institutional perspectives
Prospects for the utilization of Islamic social finance: diverse institutional perspectives
Thursday, 20 Jun 2024 08:30–10:30 UTC+02
The Untapped Potential of Islamic Social Finance
The Untapped Potential of Islamic Social Finance
Monday, 6 November 2023
Religion, Philanthropy and Sustainability
Religion, Philanthropy and Sustainability
28–29 Sep 2023
Muslim humanitarians, Islam and the SDGs
Muslim humanitarians, Islam and the SDGs
7–8 Jun 2023
Humanitarian Futures Conference
Humanitarian Futures Conference
27–30 Nov 2022
Muslim humanitarians and the SDGs
Muslim humanitarians and the SDGs
Tuesday, 15 Nov 2022 10:30–11:30 UTC+01
Religious Actors in Afghanistan: What Is Their Role under Taliban Rule?
Religious Actors in Afghanistan: What Is Their Role under Taliban Rule?
Monday, 14 Nov 2022 11:30–13:00 UTC+01
Religion and Covid- 19: Responses and responsibilities
Religion and Covid- 19: Responses and responsibilities
Latest comments
Thursday, 17 Nov 2022
Faith, Hope and a Home of One’s Own
Faith, Hope and a Home of One’s Own
Thursday, 28 May 2020
Ramadan and Social Responsibility During Coronavirus
Ramadan and Social Responsibility During Coronavirus
Monday, 6 Apr 2020
Migrants and COVID-19 in Norway: Five Reflections on Skewed Impacts
Migrants and COVID-19 in Norway: Five Reflections on Skewed Impacts
Wednesday, 5 Jun 2019
Eid Celebrations and Muslim Generosity
Eid Celebrations and Muslim Generosity
Wednesday, 22 Aug 2018
Eid, Islamic finance and the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals
Eid, Islamic finance and the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals
Thursday, 16 Jul 2015
Most Muslims Celebrate Eid
Most Muslims Celebrate Eid
Wednesday, 25 Mar 2015
A Muted Voice? Religious Actors and Civil Society in Post-2001 Afghanistan
A Muted Voice? Religious Actors and Civil Society in Post-2001 Afghanistan
Friday, 19 Dec 2014
Foreign Helpers
Foreign Helpers
Monday, 28 Jul 2014
Muslim Charity for the Poor
Muslim Charity for the Poor
Friday, 4 Jul 2014
Invisible Aid
Invisible Aid
