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Maren Toft is a Professor in the Department of Sociology and Human Geography at the University of Oslo's Faculty of Social Sciences. Her academic career has progressed from Research Assistant (2013-2014) to PhD Candidate (2014-2018), Postdoctoral Fellow (2018-2022), Associate Professor (2022), and now Professor. Her research focuses on: Class theory and theory of elites Social mobility and class structuration Segregation and urban inequality Social capital and networks of power Advanced quantitative methods including social sequence analysis and correspondence analysis Toft's publication record shows a consistent focus on elite formation, wealth accumulation, and class reproduction. Her work frequently employs longitudinal approaches to examine how social origins influence life trajectories, particularly among the upper classes. She has made significant contributions to understanding how class structures persist in Scandinavian welfare states, challenging assumptions about equality in these societies. Her major scientific awards include: His Majesty the King's Gold Medal for her 2018 PhD dissertation 'Biographies of privilege' Norwegian sociological association's award for best international publication in 2020/2021 Norwegian sociological association's award for best international publication in 2017 Kunnskap Oslo's award for best Oslo-related Research in 2015 Norwegian sociological association's award for research dissemination in 2018 Toft actively supervises PhD students including Iselin Hewitt (studying urban planning and gentrification), Marte Lund Saga (examining business-politics networks), and Stian Uvaag (researching sibling similarities in mobility). She serves on the board of both the Department of Sociology and Human Geography and the Norwegian Sociological Association. She is involved in several major research projects including HISTCLASS, The Oslo Register Data Classification (ORDC), The Salmon Elite (SALELITE), and Weaving the fabric of Elite Bonds (WEB), which collectively examine various dimensions of elite formation, power structures, and social inequality in Norway and internationally.

• Class theory
• Theory of elites
• Social mobility
• +8 more

Edgar Hertwich is a Professor of Industrial Ecology at the Department of Energy and Process Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU). He is on partial leave from NTNU, serving as a Senior Researcher at the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA) in Austria and as a partner in the environmental data company XIO Sustainability Analytics. His work bridges academic research and practical applications for climate mitigation. Current affiliations: NTNU (Professor), IIASA (Senior Researcher), XIO Sustainability Analytics (Partner) Previous roles: Professor at Yale University (2015-2019), Fellow at Yale (2019-2022), Professor at NTNU (2003-2015) Hertwich's research focuses on industrial ecology, examining material flows in economic systems to advance climate protection and sustainable development. His work spans machinery, buildings, urban form, and food supply systems, employing life cycle analysis, cross-flow analysis, and economic modeling. He contributes to global policy frameworks like the UN's Circular Economy Action Plan and EU Climate Council reports. Recent projects include CIRCOMOD (Circular Economy Modeling for Climate Mitigation) and RAINFOREST (knowledge co-production for biodiversity). He has been recognized with NTNU's Prize for Research and Artistic Activity (2023) for his contributions. Scientific Awards NTNU's Prize for Research and Artistic Activity (2023) Editorial Roles Environmental Science & Technology Journal of Industrial Ecology Journal of Economic Structures As a thought leader in industrial ecology, Hertwich connects technical insights to policy, emphasizing material efficiency and resource allocation. His work influences EU climate strategies and global environmental assessments.

• Industrial Ecology
• Climate Change Mitigation
• Resource Efficiency
• +6 more

Professor Yngve Karl Frøyen works at the Department of Architecture and Planning, Faculty of Architecture and Design, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU). With expertise in sustainable transport solutions, urban spatial modeling, and GIS applications for planning, he has taught and supervised urban and regional planning topics since 2010. His work spans multiple master programs and involves improving transport modeling tools for walking, transit, and bicycling modes. Research Focus: Sustainable urban transport (walking, bicycling, public transit), urban density, GIS methods, land use-transport interactions, and urban logistics. Teaching: Courses in GIS methods, land use-transport integration, regional planning, and master thesis supervision. Publications: 15+ works on transport modeling, urban density impacts, bicycle infrastructure, and planning methodology. Outreach: Regularly presents at conferences and seminars on topics like urban logistics, walking modeling, and transport policy. His academic career spans from 1981 civil engineer graduation to current professorship, with prior roles at Norwegian Institute of Urban and Regional Research (NIBR) and SINTEF. He combines technical GIS proficiency with policy-oriented planning expertise.

• Sustainable transport planning
• Urban spatial modeling
• GIS applications in planning
• +3 more

Don Kalb is a Professor in the Department of Social Anthropology at the University of Bergen, Norway. He is actively involved in research on political economy, class formation, financialization, and the rise of nationalist movements in the 21st century. His work bridges historical and contemporary anthropological inquiry, with a focus on global capitalism and its social consequences. His research interests center on political economy, class and value, financialization, and the anthropology of capitalism . He explores how economic transformations generate new forms of inequality, cultural identity, and political mobilization, especially in post-socialist Europe and the Global North. His scholarship critically engages Marxist theory, historical anthropology, and ethnographic fieldwork to understand the dynamics of labor, money, and social change. The recent publications reflect a strong trend toward analyzing neoliberalism, populism, and financial crisis through an anthropological lens. His work investigates how economic devaluations intersect with cultural and political shifts, particularly the rise of right-wing movements. Themes of labor, value, dispossession, and resistance recur across his articles, books, and public writings. He has received funding from the Bergen Research Foundation, the Norwegian government, and the University of Bergen for his project Frontlines: Class, Value, and Social Transformation in 21st Century Capitalism , which supports interdisciplinary research on emerging class inequalities. He has supervised master’s students such as Camilla Søreide Hansen and Marte Bruem Olsen. Don Kalb is affiliated with a vibrant research group within the Department of Social Anthropology that focuses on global capitalism, urban struggles, and political movements. His collaborative projects, including edited volumes with Chris Hann and Massimiliano Mollona, indicate strong team-based research efforts centered on class analysis and social transformation.

• Social Anthropology
• Political Economy
• Capitalism
• +12 more

Ellen Marie Krefting is a Professor in the Department of Philosophy, Classics, History of Art and Ideas (IFIKK) at the University of Oslo's Faculty of Humanities. Specializing in early modern intellectual history, she focuses on European and Denmark-Norway contexts with particular expertise in the history of knowledge, genres and communication forms, periodicals, and the emergence of public debate and freedom of speech concepts. Professor Krefting's research spans multiple interconnected fields including early modern intellectual history, history of knowledge, public sphere development, gender studies, historiography, and cultural history of the ocean. She has particular expertise in 17th-18th century French philosophy and literature, Denmark-Norway intellectual history, and book history. Her work examines how knowledge was formatted and communicated through various media including periodicals, catechisms, and ship logs, with attention to how these formats shaped intellectual discourse and public opinion during the Enlightenment. Her recent publications demonstrate a consistent focus on Scandinavian and European Enlightenment periodicals, political literature, and the development of public debate. Krefting has produced significant scholarship on La Spectatrice danoise , Den patriotiske Tilskuer , and other "spectator"-type journals, examining how these publications navigated censorship while promoting Enlightenment ideals. Her 2024 work with Paulsen on nautical charts as knowledge formats extends her research into maritime modernities. Professor Krefting leads the research project "Maritime Modernities: Formats of Oceanic Knowledge" (NFR-funded 2021-2025) and serves as the roving head of the master's program in European Culture. She has been an editorial member of Arr - Idéhistorisk tidsskrift since 1996 and has served on the Institute Board at IFIKK from 2017-2025. Her teaching includes courses IDE1105, IDE2001, EKUL4000-4002, and specialized courses on the public sphere and freedom of press around 1814.

• Early modern intellectual history
• History of knowledge
• Public sphere and freedom of speech
• +7 more

Stefan Rabitsch is an Associate Professor in American Studies with the Department of Literature, Area Studies and European Languages (ILOS) at the University of Oslo, Norway. His academic work bridges cultural studies, cultural history, and popular culture with a focus on audio-visual media including television, film, and video games, as well as comics and graphic novels. Position: Associate Professor Institution: University of Oslo, Department of Literature, Area Studies and European Languages (ILOS) Contact: stefan.rabitsch@ilos.uio.no | Room NT 717 Rabitsch's educational journey began from a working-class background as a "first gen" college student studying English and American Studies at the University of Klagenfurt, Austria, with a semester abroad at the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. His PhD centered on the transatlantic double consciousness in Star Trek's worldbuilding, followed by postdoctoral work at the University of Graz that evolved into his monograph project on the cultural history of cowboy hats, which is under contract with University of Oklahoma Press. He also held a Fulbright visiting scholarship at the Center for the Study of the American West at West Texas A&M in 2019. Rabitsch's research interests span American cultural studies and cultural history with particular focus on eighteenth- and nineteenth-century America, popular culture, and audiovisual media. His work explores the intersections of the American West, science fiction (particularly Star Trek), country music, and entrepreneurial culture. He approaches American Studies through historical and historiographic literacy combined with critical media literacy, emphasizing how narrative forms shape our understanding of the world. His specific interests include nineteenth-century American westward expansion, New Western History, livestock economies, remediations of historical topoi in popular media, American presidential history, and fan studies. Analysis of Rabitsch's recent publications reveals a consistent focus on the American West, Star Trek, and the intersection of popular culture with historical narratives. His work demonstrates how contemporary media like television series (Yellowstone), video games, and comics reinterpret historical themes and myths. A significant thread throughout his scholarship is the examination of how American cultural narratives travel internationally and are reinterpreted in different contexts, such as his work on teaching the American West in Norwegian settings. He frequently examines how Western iconography (particularly cowboy hats) functions as cultural symbols and how science fiction narratives engage with American historical consciousness. Fulbright visiting scholarship (2019) Co-Director of the Dress and Body Association (since 2022) Co-Founder of the "West of the Rest" research network (since 2022) Founding member and president of the Austrian Association for Cultural Studies (since 2021) Official Country Representative for the Science Fiction Research Association (since 2019) Rabitsch serves in multiple leadership roles including Co-Director of the Dress and Body Association, Co-Founder of the "West of the Rest" research network, and Founding member and president of the Austrian Association for Cultural Studies. He co-founded "ENGLABS at the movies," an initiative that brings together scholars and students to watch and discuss films related to British and American culture. His teaching approach emphasizes creating classroom environments focused equally on in-class work and extramural impact, challenging students to develop historical literacy and critical media skills through popular culture entry points. His notable lectures include "Petasus Americanus, or a Cultural History of Cowboy Hats," "Entrepreneurship as Popular National Storytelling Tradition," and "Playing [with] the West: Teaching, Research, and Video Games."

• American Cultural Studies
• American Cultural History
• Popular Culture
• +7 more

Erlend Lavik is Professor at the Department of Information Science and Media Studies, University of Bergen, Norway. Specialising in television studies, film history, and digital criticism, he leads research on cinematic television, narrative complexity, and the scholarly video essay. He is a key figure in the study of HBO’s The Wire , which he frames as emblematic of the medium’s “third golden age.” Education 2008 – PhD, Changing Narratives. Five Essays on Hollywood History , University of Bergen 2001 – MA (hovedoppgave), Kjærlighet i seriemonogamiets tidsalder. Romantiske komedier i Hollywood , University of Bergen Research Interests Lavik’s work interrogates the intersection of aesthetics, narrative theory, and media policy. Core themes include: Serial television and long-form storytelling Film and television authorship (showrunner model, copyright aesthetics) Digital criticism and the video essay as scholarly genre Hollywood historiography from classical to post-classical cinema Documentary ethics and truth claims in factual media Publication Trends Across more than 60 publications, Lavik moves fluidly between peer-reviewed journals, academic monographs, trade-press essays, and experimental video essays. Recurrent case studies include The Wire , The Sopranos , Succession , and blockbuster cinema, examined through lenses of narrative complexity, intertextuality, and cultural memory. Selected Public Engagement & Service Chairman of the jury, Best Norwegian Documentary, Bergen International Film Festival 2012 Keynote speaker, Nordic Media Conference, Akureiri 2011; NTNU seminar on video essays 2012 Public lectures at NRK Drama, University of Tromsø, Bergen Public Library, and numerous film clubs Labs, Teams, Collaborations Lavik is affiliated with the research group Film, Television, and Visual Culture at the University of Bergen, where he collaborates on projects concerning production studies, visual aesthetics, and digital distribution. While specific grant numbers are not listed, his sustained output and conference presence indicate ongoing funded research within Norwegian and European media-studies networks.

• Television Studies
• Film History
• Film and TV Analysis
• +3 more

Professor Akkelies van Nes is a leading Space Syntax expert at the Department of Civil Engineering and Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Engineering and Business, Western Norway University of Applied Sciences (HVL). She has chaired multiple International Space Syntax Symposia, including the 5th (2005) and 13th (2022) editions, and organized the first international online Space Syntax PhD Congress (2021). Key Affiliation: Western Norway University of Applied Sciences, Bergen, Norway Research Leadership: Chair of Space Syntax symposia Consultancy: Bergen Municipality's densification strategies Her research focuses on spatial analysis tools for understanding the relationship between urban form and socio-economic/energy dynamics. She applies Space Syntax across disciplines like Urban Geography Criminology Real Estate Development Strategic Planning and has led EU-funded projects including RUFUS (2008-2012), NODES (2012-2016), and SPACERGY (2016-2019). The article trends demonstrate her expertise in spatial analysis of urban environments, with recurring themes like Walkability and cycling infrastructure Urban crime patterns Historic urban morphology Transport energy efficiency Public space accessibility Densification strategies Her work spans theoretical development (e.g., modal logics in urban theory) to practical applications in cities like Bergen, Delft, Rome, and Istanbul. Current teaching activities include New textbook: Space Syntax in Urban Studies (Springer, 2020) Course leadership: Urban Transformation (BYG130), Theory and Methods of Science (MOA256), Urban Planning (MOA272), and MSc Thesis (MOA300) She has contributed to urban regeneration projects through spatial analysis tools and served as a reviewer for academic journals. Key research groups include Spatial Planning and Urban Studies Space Syntax in Norway Her consultancy work focuses on applying Space Syntax to Bergen's urban densification challenges, as documented in open-access publications.

• Space Syntax
• Urban Morphology
• Urban Sustainability
• +7 more

Øyvind Brandtsegg is a Professor in the Department of Music at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), Faculty of Humanities. His work integrates music technology, sound art, and performance through innovative digital systems and artistic research. Research Interests: His primary research areas include digital signal processing , feedback systems , granular synthesis , convolution , artificial intelligence in music , and improvisation . He explores how technology enables new forms of musical expression, especially in live performance and sound installations. His projects often simulate natural processes or use AI to generate dynamic sonic environments. Recent Publications & Artistic Output Trends: Over the past few years, his work has focused on crossadaptive audio processing, real-time interaction systems, and immersive installations. Themes include environmental sound, mechanical music, and the limits of human-machine collaboration. His output spans scientific articles, software, compositions, performances, and exhibitions, reflecting a strong integration of research and artistic practice. Scientific Awards: No specific awards listed in the provided text. Advising and Grants: Brandtsegg supervises multiple doctoral and artistic research students, often in collaborative, interdisciplinary projects. He has led research initiatives such as the Crossadaptive Processing project and organized the Live Interfaces conference. He has received project funding for artistic research and technology development, though specific grants are not detailed. Labs and Teams: He is affiliated with the Trondheim EMP (Electroacoustic Music Performance) group and contributes to the GDSP (Global Digital Sound Processing) platform. His work is often collaborative, involving researchers and artists across institutions in Norway and internationally.

• Music Technology
• Digital Signal Processing
• Feedback Systems
• +9 more

Tone Selboe is a Professor of General Literature at the University of Oslo's Department of Literature, Area Studies and European Languages, within the Faculty of Humanities. She holds a Dr.art from the University of Oslo (1996). Her academic career includes roles as Research Associate at Darwin College, Cambridge (1985-86), Lecturer at University College London (1988-1991), and Professor at the University of Tromsø (1996-2004). She has held visiting positions at UC Berkeley and conducted research stays in Paris and York. Selboe is a member of the Norwegian Academy of Science and Letters and serves on juries for literary awards like the Nordic Council's Literature Prize. Her research focuses on comparative literature, realism, modernism, and hermeneutics, with special attention to emotions in literary works. Key authors studied include Karen Blixen, Virginia Woolf, Camilla Collett, Charles Dickens, and George Eliot. Recent work examines emotional dynamics in realist novels and urban literature's gendered spatial narratives. Publications span analyses of Victorian and modernist literature, travel writing, and Norwegian literary figures. She contributes to research groups like 'Aesthetics of Friendship' and 'Novel and Epic, Ancient and Modern (NEAM)'. Her interdisciplinary approach bridges literary theory with cultural and urban studies.

• Comparative Literature
• History of the Novel
• Urban Literature
• +5 more

Anne Gjelsvik is a Professor of Film Studies at the Department of Art and Media Studies, NTNU. She specializes in Norwegian and American contemporary film, with a focus on memory culture, terror in media, and ecocriticism. She leads research projects like 'Unfinished Past' and contributes to environmental humanities initiatives. Her work includes analyzing Joachim Trier’s films and exploring climate crisis representations in Norwegian cinema. Research interests emphasize intermediality, gender representation, and adaptation studies. She actively participates in festivals like Kosmorama and Tromsø International Film Festival, delivering lectures and moderating panels on Nordic film trends and industry challenges. Recent publications include Refocus: The Films of Joachim Trier (2024) and articles on cinematic crisis depictions and Holocaust visualization. She also co-edited Bearbeidelser , examining artistic responses to the 22 July attacks. Her current projects address ecological media intersections, climate narratives, and feminist posthumanist engagements with dementia. She advises doctoral research on terror aesthetics and collaborates internationally on oil-related media studies.

• Norwegian and American contemporary film
• Memory culture
• Terror in the media
• +5 more

Yngve Karl Frøyen is a Professor at the Department of Architecture and Planning within the Faculty of Architecture and Design at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU). Since 2010, he has taught and coordinated spatial and transport planning in the master's program in physical planning, while also leading GIS and geodata activities across academic programs. His research focuses on sustainable urban transport , emphasizing walking, cycling, and public transit as tools to enhance urban systems. He investigates how urban form —including land use, density, and functional mix—affects travel behavior, with specific projects on retail location transport impacts, cycling infrastructure modeling, and park-and-ride solutions in urban peripheries. Key trends in his recent publications include urban ecology , smart city geospatial analysis , and pedestrian/cycling mobility . His work integrates GIS, accessibility metrics, and land use-transportation interdependencies, reflecting collaborations with institutions like SINTEF and Asplan Viak. Doctoral training in transport economics and impact analysis 9-year research at the Norwegian Institute of Urban and Regional Research (NIBR) Consulting and project management in transport modeling, electronic ticketing, and GIS applications Contributions to Norwegian transport policy frameworks

• Sustainable urban transport
• Urban form
• Land use planning
• +7 more

Hilde Arntsen is an Associate Professor and Head of Department at the Department of International Studies and Interpreting Education (IST), Faculty of Teacher Education and International Studies, Oslo Metropolitan University. She has been a faculty member at OsloMet since 2013 and assumed leadership of her department in 2019. Prior to this, she held academic positions at the University of Bergen, University of Oslo, and the International Summer School (UiO). Her educational background includes a PhD in Media Studies from the University of Bergen, and Cand. Polit. and Cand. Mag. degrees from the University of Oslo. She is also a professionally certified translator in English. Her research spans a broad range of topics in media and cultural studies, with a focus on: Media’s role in societal development and democracy Social media and political change Political cartoons in southern Africa and Norway Gender, culture, and media Globalization and media Postcolonial theory and practice Popular culture, including the Eurovision Song Contest Development communication and aid representation Qualitative research methods and ethnography Her recent publications and dissemination activities reflect a strong engagement with media in Africa, particularly Zimbabwe, and evolving forms of digital expression and political critique. She has explored themes such as online political cartoons during elections, media representation of aid in Norway, and methodological approaches in development studies. Her work often bridges academic research and public discourse, as seen in her media appearances and contributions to public debates. She is affiliated with the research group Development, Power and Inequality (UMU) and has contributed significantly to both scholarly and public-facing outputs, including books, journal articles, research reports, and over 80 dissemination pieces. Scientific Awards: No scientific awards mentioned in the provided text. She has supervised or advised students, though no names are listed. She has been active in academic service, including convening panels and special journal issues. While no specific grants are detailed, her research output suggests sustained project funding. She has no known lab affiliations but collaborates widely across institutions in Norway, the UK, and Africa.

• Media Studies
• Journalism
• Women's and Gender Studies
• +19 more

Hans Kristian Strandstuen Rustad is a Professor of Nordic Literature at the Department of Nordic and Classical Languages (ILN), University of Oslo. His research spans poetry studies, posthumanism, intermediality, digital literature, media ecology, and Nordic modernist poetry. He explores poetry as performative events, literature's relationship with non-human entities, and cross-media artistic constellations. Editor of Nordisk poesi journal Board member of INSL (International Network for the Study of Lyric) Co-coordinator of NORLYR (Nordic Modernist Lyric Network) His work interrogates how poetry manifests across analog/digital platforms, the ethical implications of posthumanism in literature, and the redefinition of traditional literary concepts in media ecology. Recent projects include studies of Instagram poetry, AI's impact on creativity, and lyrical responses to ecological crises. Rustad's publications from 2024–2017 examine Nordic poetry's evolution through digital platforms, intermedial experiments, and posthuman ethics. His edited volumes and journal articles address themes like audio-literary performance, ecological community in Björk's work, and political rap lyrics. He contributes to institutions such as CERCOP (Center for Contemporary Poetry), NORLYR, and INSL, and teaches courses on Nordic literary history, intermedial literature, and posthumanism. His research bridges cultural, technological, and environmental intersections in poetry.

• Poetry
• Posthumanism
• Literature across media
• +4 more

Thorstein Norheim is a tenured Professor in Nordic Literature at the University of Oslo , with a focus on literary criticism, contemporary poetry, and narrative theory. He is affiliated with research groups like Nordic Literary Studies in Flux and The Oslo Poetry Research Group . Research Interests include: Honor in Nordic literature Cross-cultural translation challenges Contemporary Norwegian poetry analysis Dystopian narrative structures Media-literate discourse in newspapers Publications Trends 2024: Analysis of Dag Solstad's football-themed narratives 2016: Systematic critique of 1980s Norwegian literary media 2014: Spatial mapping of Nordic fiction 2007-2011: Modernist and postmodernist poetic forms 2006: Narrative techniques in Camilla Collett's works Labs & Collaborative Units : Nordic Literary Studies in Flux Oslo Poetry Research Group

• Scandinavian Studies
• Literary Criticism
• Poetry
• +2 more