Academic interests
- Migration
- International relations
- Borders and global mobility
- International refugee law
- EU migration and asylum policy
- Postcolonial perspectives
Hanna Gjelsvik Berg works on the BEYOND research project, led by Maja Janmyr, which studies the influence of the 1951 Convention and Protocol in states that are not party to it. The project also explores how non-signatory states engage with and help create the international refugee law regime.
Background
Berg holds a BA in Journalism from Volda University College and an MA in International Relations from Oxford Brookes University. Her master's dissertation focused on the notion of "deservingness" among refugee groups, investigating how international agreements and securitisation mechanisms contribute to discriminating among refugee groups based on race and nationality.
Through volunteer work, she has supported unaccompanied refugee minors navigating the asylum process in the UK and is now assisting refugee families in Oslo by facilitating activities and helping them integrate into society. In her journalistic career, she has worked as an investigative journalist, director, and editor on several documentaries, such as Norge Bak Fasaden, Svindeljegerne, Insider and Toll. She has also worked for national newspapers as a writer and video journalist.
Awards
- Distinction in MA International Relations (2023)
- MA in International Relations Prize Winner (2023)
- Volda University College press price for best documentary (2016)
Recent work
- Op-ed in Dagsavisen (2025): – Hvis de sender meg tilbake til Afghanistan, betyr det døden
- Blog post in Border Criminologies (2025): Pakistan’s deportation policy: Questioning its adherence to non-refoulement
- Op-ed in Dagsavisen (2025): Nei, det er ikke trygt i Syria
- Video abstract (2025): Türkiye’s unique position in the international refugee regime
- Op-ed in Nettavisen (2024): Menneskene Norge ikke vil ha
- Video abstract (2025): New research underscores the role of the judiciary in refugee protection