Hege Merete Knutsen

Hege Merete Knutsen is a Professor of Sociology and Human Geography at the University of Oslo's Faculty of Social Sciences. She holds positions in the Department of Sociology and Human Geography and has served in leadership roles such as Head of the Human Geography Section (1999-2001) and Programme Leader of the BA Programme in Development Studies (2006-2009). Her research focuses on global value chains, institutional change in transition economies, labour geography, and corporate social responsibility, with regional expertise in Asia and Scandinavia.

Knutsen holds a Cand.philol. in Human Geography (1986) and a Dr.polit. (1997) from the University of Oslo. She has held visiting roles at institutions like Fudan University in Shanghai and has advised international research projects, including a Netherlands-funded study on globalisation and offshore service development (2011-2014). She has collaborated with the Norwegian Institute of Urban and Regional Research (NIBR) on studies of industrial relations in the hospitality sector.

Her research explores topics such as temporary work agencies, labour mobility in healthcare sectors, and institutional transfers in industries like Vietnam's petroleum sector. She has published extensively on globalisation's impacts on labour markets, environmental modernisation in China, and the restructuring of industries in Southeast Asia.

Knutsen is affiliated with the 'Oil and Society' research group and has contributed to interdisciplinary projects addressing energy transitions and the politics of work. Her work integrates theoretical frameworks from economic geography, political economy, and development studies to analyze contemporary global challenges.