Members
Sara Toffanin – Doctoral student
My research expertise is in migration studies and the ethics of migration, particularly forced displacement. During my academic formation, I have developed an interest in concepts of space, borders, citizenship, relationality, agency, and vulnerability. I am also interested in feminist philosophy, critical race theory, and epistemic justice theory.
Melina Duarte – Head of the Department
- Migration Ethics and Political Justice: Political membership, freedom of movement, refugee rights, climate migration, and solidarity.
- Integration and Social Cohesion: The relationship between power, inequality, and social cohesion in diverse societies.
- Feminist Philosophy and Gender Equality in Academia: Gender balance, diversity, affirmative action, institutional inequality, and the exercise of discretion.
- Feminist Epistemology and Philosophy of Science: Epistemic diversity, objectivity, gender, and knowledge production.
- Research Ethics: Researchers’ responsibilities, ethical challenges in interdisciplinary research, and emerging technologies.
Selected Research Projects
- SKJØNN (2024–2026) – Common Sense and Moral Reasoning in Academia’s Inclusion Practices. Project Leader (2024–2025). Funded by the Research Council of Norway (350275).
- GOODINT (2021–2025) – Good Integration: Goals and Bottlenecks of Successful Integration and Social Cohesion. Researcher. Funded by the Research Council of Norway (313846).
- PRESTISJE (2018–2023) – Gender Balance in Research Leadership. Project Coordinator (2020–2021) and Project Leader (2022–2023). Funded by the Research Council of Norway (281862).
- IMPLISITT (2021–2023) – Research project on implicit biases and gender equality in academia. Project Leader (2022–2023). Funded by the Research Council of Norway (321031).
- Globalizing Minority Rights (2016–2020) – Work Package Leader for Refugees and Displaced Persons. Funded by the Research Council of Norway (259017).
- RECAST (2017–2021) – Reappraising Intellectual Debates on Civic Rights and Democracy in Europe. Researcher in the European COST network (CA16211).
Selected Publications
2020–2027
- Duarte, M. & Reibold, K. S. (eds.) (forthcoming). Gender, Discretion and Decision-Making in Academia. Routledge. Under contract.
- Duarte, M., Mikalsen, Ø. H. & Vargenes, T. (forthcoming). Between Rules and Context: The Institutionalization of Whistleblower Protection in Universities. Book chapter in Gender, Discretion and Decision-Making in Academia. Routledge.
- Pettersen, V. K. & Duarte, M. (2026). The Funding Gap in Norway: A Comparison of European and Norwegian Research Councils’ Policies on Eligibility Extension Due to Maternity Leave. Book chapter.
- Duarte, M. (2024). Social Cohesion and the Struggle for Power in Diverse Societies. Law, Ethics and Philosophy.
- Duarte, M. (2024). De tre gapene i den tradisjonelle vitenskapsfilosofiens historie: en feministisk kritikk [The Three Gaps in the Traditional History of Philosophy of Science: A Feminist Critique]. Norsk filosofisk tidsskrift.
- Duarte, M., Losleben, K. & Fjørtoft, K. (eds.) (2023). Gender Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in Academia: A Conceptual Framework for Sustainable Transformation. Routledge.
- Duarte, M. (2023). Affirmative Action. In Gender Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in Academia. Routledge.
- Duarte, M. (2020). The Ethical Consequences of Criminalizing Solidarity in the EU. Theoria.
- Duarte, M. (2020). A Human Right to Relocate: The Case for Climate Migrants. Book chapter.
Earlier Key Publications
- Duarte, M., Lippert-Rasmussen, K., Parekh, S. & Vitikainen, A. (eds.) (2018). Refugee Crisis: The Borders of Human Mobility. Routledge.
- Duarte, M. (2018). Who Should Be Granted Electoral Rights at the State Level? Etikk i Praksis.
- Duarte, M. (2018). Open Borders and Welfare States: Can't They Really Get Along? Journal of Identity and Migration Studies.
- Duarte, M., Lippert-Rasmussen, K., Parekh, S. & Vitikainen, A. (2016). Introduction to the Thematic Issue “Refugee Crisis: The Borders of Human Mobility”. Journal of Global Ethics.
- Duarte, M. (2016). Educating Citizens for Humanism: Nussbaum and the Education Crisis. Studies in Philosophy and Education.
Annamari Vitikainen – Professor
My research interests fall broadly within the field of contemporary political philosophy, especially questions relating to migration, integration, minority and group rights (incl. indigenous rights), and sexuality and gender (esp. LGBTIQ+). I'm the author of The Limits of Liberal Multiculturalism: Towards an Individuated Approach to Cultural Diversity, Palgrave Macmillan (2015). Other recent publications include Vitikainen, A. (2021) “Indigenous Citizenship, Shared Fate, and Non-ideal Circumstances”, Citizenship Studies 25(1), 1-19., Vitikainen, A. (2023) “Refugee-based reasons in refugee resettlement – the case of LGBTIQ+”, Moral Philosophy and Politics 10(2), 367-385. and Vitikainen, A. and Lenard P.T. (2026) “The role of trust in LGBTQ+ refugee status determination (RSD) system”, Journal of Social Philosophy 57(2), 250–260.
I am the PI of a Research Council of Norway project on Good Integration (GOODINT): Goals and bottlenecks of good integration and social cohesion (2021-2026).
In 2016-2021 I co-led a RCN project Globalizing Minority Rights: Cosmopolitanism, Global Institutions, and Cultural Justice
At present, I'm working on a book project The Ethics of LGBTIQ+ Refugee Admission and Integration (under contract at Oxford University Press).
Randi Lise Davenport – Professor of Spanish Literature
Early Modern Writing Women
Spanish Golden Age literature
Early Modern Spanish and European history of ideas
Menippean Satire
Francisco de Quevedo (1580-1645)
Miguel de Cervantes (1547-1616)
Perceptions and Conceptions of the North in Spanish Golden Age Literature
The cultural and textual transfer of Thomas More's Utopia
Utopia in Latin America 15th to 21st Century
Mathea Slåttholm Sagdahl
I have mainly worked on the philosophy of reasons and normativity, in the intersection of normative ethics and metaethics. My main research project has been understanding the relationship between reasons originating in self-interest and reasons originating in moral concern for others. My main views and research can be found in my book Normative Pluralism: Resolving the Conflicts between Moral and Prudential Reasons, forthcoming at Oxford University Press.
I also have a strong interest in other topics, and have also written on the philosophy of emotions and on military conscription. I am currently mostly interested in questions relating to meaning in life and in feminist philosophy and gender theory, and work on several topics within these fields.
Fredrik Nilsen – Assistant Professor
- History of philosophy ( in particular the Antiquity, the Middle Ages, the Early Modernity, the Enlightenment; Socrates, Plato, Aristotle, Augustine, Aquino, Descartes, Spinoza, Leibniz, Locke, Berkeley, Hume, Kant).
- The contributions of women thinkers to the history of philosophy (critique of canon) (in particular Elizabeth of Bohemia, Sophie of Hanover, Sophie Charlotte of Preussia, Anne Conway, Margaret Cavendish, Damaris Cudworth Masham, Catharine Trotter Cockburn).
- The contributions of non-western thinkers to the history of philosophy (critique of canon) (in particular African philosophy; Zera-Yaqob, Welde Hiywet, Wilhelm Anton Amo).
- The history of ethics (Aristotle, Kant, Bentham, Mill).
- Normative ethics (virtue ethics, duty ethics, utilitarianism).
- Metaethics (in particular the questions on free will and moral evil; Socrates, Plato, Aristotle, Epictetus, Augustine, Aquino, Ockham, Duns Scotus, Leibniz, Rousseau, Kant).
- Philosophy of antiquity (Socrates, Plato, Aristotle, epicurianism, stoicism).
- Metaphysics (in particular the question of free will and the mind-body problem; Platon, Aristotle, Descartes, Elizabeth of Bohemia, Spinoza, Leibniz, Sophie of Hanover, Anne Conway, Margaret Cavendish, Kant).
- The history of political philosophy (Plato, Aristotle, Augustine, Aquino, Hobbes, Locke, Rousseau, Kant).
- The history of hermeneutics (in particular the German tradition; Schleiermacher, Dilthey, Gadamer).
Kjersti Fjørtoft – Professor
Political philosophy, in particular theories of democracy and justice.
Cathrine V. Felix – Assosiate Professor
Maria Danielsen – Higher Executive Officer
Theory of emotions, aesthetics, ethics, epistemology, phenomenology, artificial intelligence.
Kerstin Stefanie Reibold – Assistant Professor
Trust
Social cohesion and integration
Intergroup reconciliation
Indigenous rights
Territorial rights
Transitional justice
Climate ethics
Kaja Jenssen Rathe – Assistant Professor
Phenomenology/critical phenomenology, political philosophy, feminist philosophy, migration, Maurice Merleau-Ponty
Clare Heyward – Professor
climate change, justice, ethics and new technologies
Chantalle Brückel – Doctoral Research Fellow
Phenomenology and existentialism, particularly Sartre and Beauvoir; moral philosophy, feminist philosophy, and climate ethics; as well as the ethics of freedom and responsibility.
Hege C. Finholt – Associate Professor of Ethics
Oda Karoline Storbråten Davanger – Doctoral Research Fellow
Attila Tanyi – Professor II (Adjunct Professor)
Political philosophy; Moral philosophy; Ethics; Philosophy of religion; Philosophy of law; Philosophy of action
Jonas Jakobsen – Associate professor
Is Democracy the Best Form of Government, and How Can We Justify It? What does the ideal of a democratic public sphere entail, and how is this ideal threatened by polarization, disinformation, and the concentration of power on social media?
Populism and Democracy: What is populism, and how does populist politics challenge liberal democracy? What are the ideological foundations of today’s right-wing populist wave, including the criticism of "woke" culture and "cancel culture"? Is there a left-wing populist alternative to right-wing populism? How should democratic states and citizens respond to the threats posed by authoritarian populism?
Trump’s Philosophers: Which philosophical ideas are used by people in Trump’s administration, as well as wealthy donors, to legitimize his policies?
Freedom of Speech: How can we justify freedom of speech, and how extensive should it be? How is hate speech defined, and should it be prohibited? Should blasphemy and the offense of "religious feelings" be outlawed in secular democracies?
Hedda Smedheim Bjerklund – Doctoral Research Fellow
Social justice, political philosophy, environmental philosophy and research ethics.
