My particular research interests are human rights, cultural and religious diversity and human values. Related areas are human dignity/human rights, moral foundations of human rights, universal and particular values and rights, religious perspectives on human rights, and the rights of persons with disabilities. I am interested in how human beings create meaningful existences, and how these are expressed in narratives, actions and practices. theoretically and methodologically I draw on post-structural, interpretive and hermeneutical traditions.
Responsibilities
- Program coordinator MSc Human rights and Multiculturalism
- Course coordinator MHRMC600 Introduction to human rights and cultural diversity
- Course coordinator MHRMC702 Critical, cultural and religious perspectives on human rights
- Research group leader/coordinator: Human rights and diversities
- Project coordinator: Human rights and reconciliation in a post-conflict, multicultural society (NORPART)
- PhD supervisor: Sivakumar Navarathnam: "International Human Rights Agencies in Shaping the Local Cultures in the Eastern Province of Sri Lanka: A Critical Discourse Analysis"
- Supervision of Master theses related to my competencecs and fields of interest
Competences
HUMAN RIGHTS:
- Human rights of persons with disabilities
- Human rights and religions
- Human rights and multiculturalism
- Freedom of religion
- Right to education and Human rights education
- Women's rights
- Human rights and feminism
RELIGION AND ETHICS IN SCHOOLS
- KRLE
- The religious freedom of children
- Teaching religion in public schools
- Religious and cultural diversity in education
RELIGION
- Biblical studies
- The New Testament
- Freedom of religion
- Religion and diaspora
- Religion and migration
- Religion and human rights
- Women
EDUCATION
- Multicultural education
- Intercultural education
- Right to inclusive education
- Right to education
- Internationalisation in education
MULTICULTURALISM
- Multicultural education
- Multiculturalism and interculturalism
- Backlash on multiculturalism
- Women and multiculturalism
- Religion and multiculturalism
CV
Education:
Doctor of Philosophy (University of Durham, UK)
Current projects
- Dignity and persons with cognitive disabilities
- Shaping culture: the effect of international human rights agencies on local cultures.
- Human rights and reconciliation in a post-conflict, multicultural society (With University of Peradeniya, Sri Lanka).
- Individual researcher project: "Preserving and developing Yarsan culture and identity in the Scandinavian Diaspora."
Previous projects:
- Coordinator and supervisor of development projects connected to education for newly arrived youth in 11 schools in Buskerud municipality, in coopertion with National Center for Multicultural education.
- "Cultural and religious complexity, human rights, and teaching in multicultural contexts”, in cooperation with the National institute of Education in Sri Lanka;
- "Inclusive education, intercultural competence, and democratic citizenship in teacher education. A joint action project between the University of Duhok and Buskerud University College, Norway.";
- ITEPS - International Teacher Education for Primary schools; Development of partnership research projects with local schools.
Publications
Profile in CRISTIN (Current Research Information System in Norway)
Profile in Academia
Profile in Research Gate