Oslo – A City of Peace
UiO is ranked as the top university in Norway and among the top 1% of universities worldwide. Its mission is to educate highly qualified students, conduct long-term basic research, and ensure that knowledge is put to use.
UiO has played a pivotal role in shaping the Norwegian society since its founding in 1811. UiO is home to the world’s best-preserved Viking ship, the Oseberg Ship, underscoring the university’s role in safeguarding and celebrating world heritage.
Oslo is a city of peace, and the University of Oslo has made democracy one of its strategic focus areas. UiO is also a co-organiser of Oslo Peace Days, a series of events leading up to the Nobel Peace Prize ceremony.
The University of Oslo and Circle U.
Reflecting the university's dedication towards peace, the University of Oslo leads Circle U.’s Knowledge Hub on Democracy.
The university is also in charge of coordinating the Circle U. 2030 EU project, and developing the Open Campus, under the supervision of its Dean.
Meet the Circle U. team in Oslo
Berit Karseth
- Vice-Rector for education, UiO
- Member of the Circle U. Management Board
Berit Karseth
- Vice-Rector for education, UiO
- Member of the Circle U. Management Board
Berit Karseth holds a Cand. Paed. and a Dr. Polit and is a Professor at the Department of Education from UiO. Her research and academic interests focus on reform and change processes at all levels of the educational system. Karseth has significant leadership experience from work with study and program revisions at the department level and was Dean at the Faculty of Educational Sciences from 2013 to 2016.
Eivind Engebretsen
- Sustainable Health Unit, UiO
- Dean of the Circle U. Open Campus
Eivind Engebretsen
- Sustainable Health Unit, UiO
- Dean of the Circle U. Open Campus
Eivind is a medical humanities scholar committed to bridging evidence-based practice and the humanistic dimensions of medicine to advance knowledge translation and sustainable healthcare.
Dan Banik
- Centre for Global Sustainability, UiO
- Academic Director for the Knowledge Hub on Democracy
Dan Banik
- Centre for Global Sustainability, UiO
- Academic Director for the Knowledge Hub on Democracy
Dan Banik is professor of political science, director of the Oslo SDG Initiative at the Centre for Development and the Environment, and affiliate professor at Faculty of Medicine, University of Oslo. He is also Academic Director of the Democracy Hub at Circle U. European University Alliance and Extraordinary Professor at the University of Pretoria. His books include Political Transition, Poverty, and Inclusive Development in Malawi: The Democratic Dividend; Poverty and Elusive Development; and Starvation and India’s Democracy. Prof. Banik was a Visiting Professor and Consulting Scholar at Stanford University (2010-2017) and a Visiting Professor at China Agricultural University (2012-2017). He is the host of the In Pursuit of Development podcast with listeners in 160 countries.
Profile page and contact details
- Dan Banik
Professor of political science
Centre for Development and the Environment
University of Oslo
Do you have questions about the University of Oslo and Circle U.?
Get in touch with the Circle U. team in Oslo: oslo@circle-u.eu
Latest news from the University of Oslo
Circle U. Seed Fund: Young Influencers – Empowering Leadership for Democracy (YIELD)
Events
Frontiers in Artificial Intelligence - Webinar Series
Info session: Your guide to the Call for Communities of Practice 2026
WFN "From Potential to Power" Spring Track 2026
Staff Week on Recognition – Oslo, 18–20 May
Courses from the University of Oslo
Open Conversation: Remembering the Covid-19 Pandemic
The politics of sustainable development
Sustainable Business, Finance & Circular Economy
The Politics of Bureaucracy
Interdisciplinary Research for Sustainability: A Toolkit for the Energy Transition
