Kristian Berg Harpviken

Kristian Berg Harpviken is a researcher at the Peace Research Institute Oslo (PRIO), where he leads PRIO’s Middle East Center. He served as the institute’s director from 2009 to 2017. Harpviken is a sociologist, focusing his research particularly on Afghanistan and the surrounding region. He works extensively on regional conflict dynamics and cooperation, with a recent emphasis on the Middle East. One of Harpviken’s areas of interest is migration, especially related to armed conflict, and he has conducted extensive research on violent mobilization related to displacement. In continuation of this, he has been leading a project since 2020 on political mobilization against migration in Europe. Harpviken has a broad research interest in war and peace, publishes internationally, actively engages in policy dialogues, and regularly gives lectures for both academic and general audiences.