Research Profile
My research focuses on the causes and consequences of mass mobilization. I investigate when and why people mobilize to demand political change - through protests, strikes, and resistance campaigns - and what determines the success or failure of these movements. In particular, I study the dynamics between social movements, political elites, and security forces, and how they shape political change and regime trajectories. I also examine how violent conflict shapes the attitudes of ordinary people, and why some post-conflict peace processes relapse into war while others result in lasting peace. I combine perspectives from the social mobilization literature, comparative politics, and conflict studies, and have contributed to the development of several global datasets on mass mobilization and security force disloyalty, as well as conducted survey research in Colombia and Ukraine.
Working Experience
2026 -: Acting Deputy Director
2024 - 2026: Research Director
2017 - : Senior Researcher
2017 - : Deputy Editor, Journal of Peace Research
Education
2017: PhD at the Faculty of Social and Educational Sciences - NTNU
2007-2009: M. Phil, Political Science, University of Oslo
2006-2007: Courses in Sociology and Political Science, University of California, Berkeley
2003-2006: BA, Comparative Politics, University of Bergen
Languages spoken
Norwegian, English and Spanish
