Research Interests
EU border security policies in the Mediterranean: competing narratives on migration, humanitarian needs and border control
Security and humanitarian surveillance technologies: legal framework, political and ethical challenges
Humanitarian crises and their internationalization: new tools of communication, changing forms of media coverage, agenda-setting, international mobilization and shaping of crisis narratives, and the emerging or challenging norms of international responsibilities in internal crises (R2P, Protection of civilians, etc.)
Rising powers' involvement in humanitarianism and peacekeeping: the case of Brazil
Conflict dynamics in Sudan and East Africa
Background
Currently:
Co-Director, Norwegian Centre for Humanitarian Studies (NCHS) (Director from 2016-2020)
August 2016-present: Research Director, Dimensions of Security department, PRIO
Working experience:
Jan. 2011-present: Senior Researcher, PRIO
2016-2018: Member of PRIO Board (staff representative)
2006-2010: Doctoral researcher, Centre d'Etudes et de Recherches Internationales (CERI), SciencesPo, Paris
2009-2011: Lecturer, Master of Conflict Analysis and Peacebuilding, Institut d'Etudes Politiques, Sciences Po, Lille
2007 and 2009: Guest researcher at Cedej, Khartoum
2005 and 2007: Guest researcher at NUPI, Oslo
2008: Visiting Scholar at SIPA, Columbia University, New York
University lecturing:
2009-2011, Sciences Po Lille: Courses on International Relations, Conflict Analysis and Peacebuilding and Mediatization of Conflicts
2008-2011, SciencesPo Paris: Courses on World Politics, International Relations and International Management of Armed Conflicts
Other:
2004-2009: Correspondent for Morgenbladet (Norwegian weekly)
2004: Journalist, Al Ahram Weekly, International desk, Cairo
2005-2006: Assistant to the permanent delegate, Norwegian Delegation to UNESCO, Paris
Education:
- Ph.D., Institut d’Etudes Politiques de Paris/SciencesPo (2010). Dissertation title: “The internationalization of the Sudanese conflicts: from South-Sudan to Darfur. Agenda-setting, mobilization and qualifications”
- Research Master, Political science of international relations, Institut d’études politiques de Paris/SciencesPo (2006)
- Master, International Affairs, Major in Security and Conflict Resolution, Institut d’études politiques de Paris/SciencesPo (2005)
- Undergraduate degrees in Sociology (UiO, 2001), development studies (HiO, 2002), and International relations (SciencesPo, 2003)
Languages:
Fluent: Norwegian, French, English
Intermediate: Arabic, German
Blog Posts
The earthquake in Turkey and Syria on 6 February is tragic beyond what we are able to fathom. The World Health Organization’s Europe branch has labelled the 7.8 magnitude earthquake and a secondary 7.6 magnitude aftershock as the region’s “worst natural disaster” in 100 years. By 17 February, there have ... Read more »
In the weeks since Russia’s brutal invasion of Ukraine significant proportions of Ukraine’s population has gone on the move, the majority of whom are internally displaced. By 29th March 2022, 4 million people had fled Ukraine across borders to neighbouring countries: Poland (2 million in 3 weeks), Slovakia, Hungary, Romania ... Read more »
Posted by Kristin B. Sandvik, Larissa Fast, Adèle Garnier, Katja Lindskov Jacobsen & Maria Gabrielsen Jumbert on Sunday, 11 October 2020
This year’s Nobel Peace Prize is awarded to the World Food Program for its “efforts to combat hunger, for its contribution to bettering conditions for peace in conflict-affected areas and for acting as a driving force in efforts to prevent the use of hunger as a weapon of war and ... Read more »
The fire at the Moria camp underlines the depth of the crisis in the international system intended to protect people fleeing their home countries. Under the Refugee Convention, people in need of asylum must be given the opportunity to apply for it. The fundamental flaws in this system weighs heavily ... Read more »
The Norwegian-registered vessel Ocean Viking, operated by Médecins Sans Frontières, has recently been at the centre of a debate that has become dominated by one assumption: that search-and-rescue (SAR) operations are encouraging people to attempt to cross the Mediterranean The logic is problematic for several reasons, and I will try ... Read more »
Is there really an inherent conflict between pursuing national interests and acting in globally responsible ways on migration? We call for a debate that moves beyond an artificial dichotomy between the “headless heart” and the “heartless head”. A good start would be to acknowledge the salience and value of binding ... Read more »
Note: On 18 March 2016, the EU and Turkey agreed on a deal to stop refugees from crossing the Mediterranean. At that time, Maria Gabrielsen Jumbert and Pinar Tank warned that the agreement was advantageous for Europe and Turkey but not for the refugees whose rights to protection were severely ... Read more »
Images of refugees using smartphones have now become common in the Western media landscape, and everybody seems to have learned that refugees and migrants, too, use smartphones. Indicative of this awareness, European governments are now looking into how to make use of these assets in their identity checks and in ... Read more »
The agreement reflects the EU’s self-interest just as much as Turkey’s, but takes little account of the interests and rights of the refugees. On Friday 18 March, Turkey and the EU concluded a deal designed to put an end to refugees’ use of the sea route to travel from Turkey ... Read more »
Posted by Maria Gabrielsen Jumbert & Torkjell Leira on Tuesday, 1 December 2015
While the Norwegian overseas aid budget has been debated intensely here at home, Crown Prince Haakon was recently on an official visit in Brazil, from 16-19 November. Brazil is unquestionably the largest recipient of Norwegian aid, while simultaneously donating aid itself to poorer countries. This paradoxical situation tells us much ... Read more »
The EU’s response to the increased flow of refugees crossing the Mediterranean has been to boost border security by means of Operation Triton, which is the responsibility of Frontex, the EU border agency. There is little one can do, however, to impose effective border controls at sea. Operation Triton does ... Read more »
Social media have brought Kenya into focus recently, with people’s reactions to the attack at the University of Garissa spreading on Facebook and Twitter. Social media users have been sharing an image of a candle against a black background, accompanied by the single word “Kenya”. In this way they have ... Read more »
On Sunday 11 January France witnessed the largest rally on records of people taking to the streets with close to 4 million people all over the country, of which almost 1,5 million in Paris. The world saw one of the largest gatherings of state leaders in one place outside of ... Read more »
A record number of refugees have arrived by boat in southern Europe this summer. Norway should voice its support for a common European solution to the issue of boat migrants crossing the Mediterranean. Last year this would have been front-page news, but now each new arrival – or each refugee ... Read more »
New technology has become central to relief efforts in humanitarian crises. This may make relief efforts more effective, but we can’t assume that the technology will have only a beneficial impact on the recipients of emergency aid. Today, mobile phones, social media, crisis mapping, online volunteering, and pre-paid cards are ... Read more »