Background
Vibeke Blaker Strand is a professor of law.
Strand is a leading expert in equality and non-discrimination law in Norway and an expert in international human rights. In her research, she addresses the significance of the prohibition against discrimination across different areas of society and in relation to new societal challenges. She has, for instance, explored how the protection against discrimination is challenged by new technologies, such as artificial intelligence (AI). She has worked extensively with issues of equality and non-discrimination in an increasingly diverse society. Additionally, she is engaged with issues relating to the regulation of faith and belief communities in Norway. Strand is highly interested in how different supranational legal systems in the field of human rights interact (including the European Convention on Human Rights, EU/EEA law, and various UN human rights conventions), as well as the significance of these systems in Norway.
Strand is the author of numerous books, articles, and book chapters. These include «Likestillings- og diskrimineringsrett» [“Equality and Discrimination Law"], Gyldendal 2022, co-authored with Anne Hellum), «Menneskerettigheter i et nøtteskall» ["Human Rights in a Nutshell"], Gyldendal 2nd ed. 2021, co-authored with Kjetil Mujezinovic Larsen, and «Diskrimineringsvern og religionsutøvelse» ["Protection against Discrimination and Freedom of Religion"], Gyldendal 2012. She is the editor of "Nordic Equality and Anti-Discrimination Laws in the Throes of Change" (Routledge 2024, together with Anne Hellum, Ingunn Ikdahl, and Eva-Maria Svensson) and «Rettigheter i velferdsstaten» ["Rights in the Welfare State"], (Gyldendal 2016, together with Ingunn Ikdahl).
In 2024, she wrote the report «Algoritmer, kunstig intelligens og diskriminering. En analyse av likestillings- og diskrimineringslovens muligheter og begrensninger» ["Algorithms, Artificial Intelligence, and Discrimination: An Analysis of the Possibilities and Limitations of the Norwegian Equality and Discrimination Act."]
Strand's research, teaching, and supervision primarily relate to international human rights, discrimination and equality law, constitutional law, welfare law, and methodology.
A selection of positions, tasks, etc.
2025-ongoing: Chair of board, Lovdata Foundation
2026-2027: Member of Legislative Committee on the Patient and User Rights Act (government‑appointed)
2026-2029: Member, Committee for Gender Balance and Diversity in Research and Higher Education (government-appointed)
2024-2028: Member of the advisory board to the Norwegian Human Rights Institution.
2020- ongoing: Responsible expert for the topic "equality and non-discrimination" on Store norske leksikon [Great Norwegian Encyclopedia]
2013-2020: Responsible expert for the topic «human rights» on Store norske leksikon [Great Norwegian Encyclopedia]
2014-2019: Editor of the Oslo Law Review, a law journal published by Universitetsforlaget [Scandinavian University Press]
2012-2015: Substitute member in the Equality and Anti-Discrimination Tribunal [repealed and replaced by the Discrimination Tribunal]
As a newly graduated lawyer, she was involved in writing the legal preparatory works relating to the incorporation the UN Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW) into Norwegian law.
Roles at the university
2026-ongoing: Chair of the faculty's committee for equality, diversity, and inclusion (LIMU)
May 2026-ongoing: Chair of the faculty's research group on welfare, rights, and discrimination (VERDI)
2020-2023: Elected pro-dean for research at the Faculty of law
2022 and 2023: Chair of the faculty's committee for equality, diversity, and inclusion (LIMU)
Adjudication of doctoral theses
Strand has served on the adjudication committees for the following PhD dissertations:
Natalia Torres Zúñiga, “Ideology critique and the Legitimacy of the Inter-American Court of Human Rights: Challenging the Constitutional Analogy, Subsidiarity and Democratic Transformation”. Chair of committee. Disputation on 7 October 2019, Faculty of Law, University of Oslo.
Mathias Karlsen Hauglid, "Bias and Discrimination in Clinical Decision Support Systems Based on Artificial Intelligence”. First opponent. Disputation on 26 April 2024, Faculty of Law, UiT — The Arctic University of Norway (Tromsø).
Mona Naomi Lintvedt, "EU Law on Privacy in Human-Robot Interaction: Misconceptions, Fragmentations and Complexities". Chair of committee. Disputation on 5 March 2025, Faculty of law, University of Oslo.
