Additional positions:
Coordinator of the Research School on Peace and Conflict
Marte Nilsen is a Historian of Religions and a Senior Researcher at the Peace Research Institute Oslo (PRIO). Her research focus is on the ethnicity-religion-nationbuilding nexus of political and violent conflicts in Southeast Asia, with a particular focus on Myanmar and Thailand. Research interests include:
News
Thursday, 10 Feb 2022
The new book chapter "We Are Alive, but Have No Life": Rohingya Refugees, Deprived of the Prospects for a Future written by Senior Researcher Marte Nilsen, explores some of the everyday strategies of survival that stateless, Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh make use of to navigate under the precarious conditions of being denied rights and recognition.
Marte Nilsen is a Senior Researcher at PRIO. She coordinates the Research School on Peace and Conflict - a joint initiative of the University of Oslo, the Norwegian University of Science and Technology and PRIO. She also coordinates PRIO's Religion research group.
2012: Dr.philos., History of Religions, Centre for Theology and Religious Studies, Lund University.
2005: Cand.philol., History of Religions, Department of Culture Studies and Oriental Languages, University of Oslo.
2002: Cand.mag., History of Religions, Sociology, History, University of Oslo.
Language skills
Proficient: Norwegian, English.
Intermediate: German, Thai.
Basic: Burmese, Chinese (Mandarin).
2012 Burmese language course (1 week intensive), SOAS University of London.
2010 Thai language training, intermediate level (3 weeks), Chiang Mai Thai Language Center.
2006 Chinese language (KIN 1110-1120 1 year), University of Oslo.
2012 – Present: Senior Researcher, Peace Research Institute Oslo (PRIO).
2017 – Present: Coordinator. Research School on Peace and Conflict.
2007 – 2012: Doctoral Researcher, Faculty of Humanities and Theology, Centre for Theology and Religious Studies, Lund University.
2006 – 2008: President, Attac Norway.
2005-2006: University board member, University of Oslo.
Teaching
2016 Web studies program developer – Religion and Conflict, Bjørknes Uni. College.
2015 Main lecturer – Religion and Conflict, Bjørknes University College.
2015 Main lecturer – History of Religions, Norwegian School of Theology.
2013 Guest lecturer – Religion and Politics, University of Oslo.
2010 Guest lecturer – Terror in the Name of God, Lund University.
2006 Guest lecturer – Religion and Globalisation, University of Oslo.
Op-eds
"Ingen er i stand til å fylle Kong Bhumibols sko", Aftenposten, 13.10.2016
"Are We Nearing an End to Buddhist Extremism in Myanmar?", Southeast Asia Globe, 02.11.2016
"Double Marginalisation of Myanmar's Ethnic Minorities", Myanmar Times, 26.04.2016
"Myanmar's Ethnic Minorities Marginalised More", East Asia Forum, 13.04.2016
"The Rise of Political Buddhism in Myanmar", Tricycle, 06.06.2015
"Buddhist Nationalism Threatens Myanmar's Democratic Transition", East Asia Forum, 12. 03.2015
"Norges balansekunst i Myanmar", NRK Ytring, 17.10.2014
"Farlig Folketelling", Dages Næringsliv, 08.10.2014
"Thailands skjøre demokrati" NRK Ytring, 28.05.2014
"Politisk krise i Thailand", Forsvarets forum Nr. 3, 2014
"Slaget om Bangkok", NRK Ytring, 17.01.2014
"Hva nå, Thailand?", Dagsavisen, 12.06.2010
"Opprøret i Thailand", Dagbladet, 16.04.2009
"Elitenes kamp", VG, 14.09.2008
Television and Radio appearances (sample)
Thai Politics: Nyhetslunsj, NRK 06.05.2019
Thai Politics: TV2 Nyhetskanalen, 06.05.2019
Thai Politics: NRK Alltid Nyheter, 25.03.2019
Thai Politics: Urix på lørdag, NRK P2, 23.03.2019
Thai Politics: Studio 2, NRK P2, 06.03.2019
Myanmar Politics: Urix, NRK 2, 20.09.2017
Thai Politics: Ytring, NRK P2, 14.05.2017
Thai Politics: Norgesglasset, NRK P1, 13.10.2016
Thai Politics: Urix, NRK2, 12.10.2016
Thai Politics: Her og Nå, NRK P1, 12.08 2016
Thai Politics: Nyhetskanalen, 10pm. TV2 11.08.2016
Thai Politics: Nyhetsmorgen, NRK P2, 08.08.2016
Myanmar Politics: Urix, NRK2 15.02.2016
Thai Politics: Dagsrevyen, NRK1, 18.08.2015
Myanmar Politics: Urix NRK2, 15.03.2016.
Myanmar Politics: Nyhetsettermiddag NRK P2, 11.05.2015
Thai Politics: Norgesglasset NRK P1, 23.05.2014
Thai Politics: Dagsnytt 18 NRK2, 22.05.2014
Thai Politics: Nyhetsmorgen P2, 03.02.2014
Myanmar Politics: Urix NRK2, 14.11.2012
Thai Politics: Aktuelt NRK2, 19.05.2010
Thai Politics: Dagsnytt 18 NRK2, 18.05.2010
Thai Politics: Dagsnytt 18 NRK2, 19.05.2010
PRIO Paper
Book Chapter in Masks of Authoritarianism: Hegemony, Power and Public Life in Bangladesh
PRIO Policy Brief
Journal Article in The European Journal of Development Research
PRIO Policy Brief
PRIO Policy Brief
PRIO Policy Brief
PRIO Policy Brief
Book Chapter in Women Peace and Security in Myanmar: Between Feminism and Ethnopolitics
Report - External Series
The new book chapter "We Are Alive, but Have No Life": Rohingya Refugees, Deprived of the Prospects for a Future written by Senior Researcher Marte Nilsen, explores some of the everyday strategies of survival that stateless, Rohingya refugees in Bangladesh make use of to navigate under the precarious conditions of being denied rights and recognition.
Please be invited and save the dates for the INSPIRE seminar series autumn 2021! The seminars will take place monthly, on Wednesdays from 12:00-13:00 CET, online, with invited researchers and artists.
Klo Kwe Moo Kham has successfully defended his thesis "The Quest for Peace in Kawthoolei: The Strategies, Outcomes, and Sustainability of Peacebuilding in Southeast Myanmar, 2012-2020".
Congratulations Klo!
In societies at war or facing severe repression, what motivates individuals to take action for social justice when doing so involves great risk and uncertainty? How do such small but often heroic everyday acts of common people inspire larger transformations? And what is the impact of storytelling about everyday acts that challenge inequalities and injustices in places like Myanmar, Somaliland and Syria?
The TRANSFORM research team has grappled with these questions for four years, and you will find some answers in this online exhibition.
On June 3rd 2021, the INSPIRE research platform was launched with a live performance by Faytinga and a presentation of artwork by Diala Brisly. The research platform can be explored at inspire.gallery
PRIO invites applications for three Doctoral Researcher positions.
How do political opposition groups in Myanmar and Thailand use popular culture and art to generate legitimacy for their political causes and propagate their messages?
Norad has awarded funding through its NORHED II scheme for a six-year project to strengthen higher education institutions' ability to produce high-quality research and teaching. The project was initiated by The Norwegian Center for Human Rights (NCHR) and the Peace Research Institute Oslo (PRIO) in partnership with five leading institutions in Africa, Latin America and the Middle East.
The project will investigate the current crisis of statelessness affecting millions of people in the Bengali borderlands, including the Rohingya population of Myanmar and Bengali Muslims in the Northeast Indian state of Assam.
Next Tuesday December 8th at 14.00 CET (Oslo time) we will have the PRIO Annual Peace Address, this time with young peacebuilders Hajer Sharief and Ilwad Elman.
On this occasion we wanted to highlight projects and research that focus on youth activism. We're sharing our work on young engagement in political change, because social movements that turn into positive societal transformation are not only initiated by people in power, but very often are initiated or inspired by youth trying to improve their communities. Here are some of the projects showing the importance of youth in peacebuilding.