Karin Dyrstad

Karin Dyrstad is a Professor at the Department of Sociology and Political Science, Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU), affiliated with the Faculty of Social Sciences and Education. Her research focuses on individual-level causes and consequences of political violence, peacebuilding strategies in conflict-affected states, and public opinion dynamics in post-war societies. She employs quantitative methods, particularly survey data, to analyze issues like transitional justice, peace agreement effectiveness, and trauma's impact on political behavior.

Her work spans multiple post-conflict regions including Guatemala, Nepal, Northern Ireland, and the Western Balkans. Key themes include how wartime experiences shape support for peace agreements, public attitudes toward transitional justice mechanisms, and the interplay between trauma and political violence. Dyrstad has contributed to high-impact journals like the Journal of Conflict Resolution and International Journal of Transitional Justice.

She is also actively involved in doctoral education, serving as program director for the PhD program in Social Sciences at NTNU (2021–2024). Her interdisciplinary research bridges political science, sociology, and public health, with recent focus on health service accessibility for marginalized populations in post-conflict contexts.