FNI’s master’s students, Autumn 2025

Fridtjof Nansen Institute welcomes new master's students every semester. Students receive office space at Polhøgda and become part of the institute’s daily academic life. The institute also offers dedicated scholarships for master's students, with deadlines on 20 November and 20 May. Read more about the programme here (in Norwegian only).

This autumn, we are happy to introduce:

Ingvild Rognli

Master’s programme: International Development, Education and Sustainability, OsloMet
Supervisors: Gørild Heggelund and Iselin Stensdal
Master’s thesis: How can China’s Arctic engagement be understood through the lens of internal state fragmentation?

Ingvild examines China’s role and activities in the Arctic. Using a framework that views China as an authoritarian system with centralised decision-making, she explores how internal fragmentation may influence national Arctic policy guidelines. She looks at how different Chinese institutions interpret and implement Arctic engagement in practice, and whether variation exists across administrative levels.

Ethan Wong

Master’s Programme: Peace and Conflict Studies, University of Oslo
Supervisor: Pål Kriachko Røren
Master’s thesis: The role and status of non-Arctic states in the Arctic Council

Ethan examines the role of non-Arctic state observers in the Arctic Council. As countries located outside of the region, he investigates how observers operate and are perceived within the organization. He uses public resources and perspectives from the Arctic Council's practitioners to analyse the factors that contribute to their influence and engagement.

Erlend Heier

Master’s Programme: Political Science, Leiden University
Supervisor: Vasiliki Tsagkroni
Master’s thesis: Weaponizing the Sea: Russia’s Shadow Fleet and the Politics of Sanction Enforcement

Erlend’s thesis examines how Russia’s “shadow fleet” has become a key tool for bypassing Western oil sanctions and maintaining export flows after the invasion of Ukraine. He analyses the fleet as a dynamic and adaptive system that relies on maritime grey-zone tactics – including frequent flag and insurance changes, opaque ownership structures and new trade routes – to sustain oil and gas exports.

The project explores how this evasion is not only technical but a strategic response that weakens enforcement and reduces the political impact of EU and G7 sanctions. His aim is to show how the shadow fleet has become part of Russia’s broader economic warfare, and what this  reveals about the structural limits of Western sanctions.

Hanna Noemi Lindner

Master’s programme: Sustainable Food Systems, NMBU
Supervisors: Hanne Fjerdingby Olsen (NMBU), Tove Ortman (NIBIO) and Regine Andersen (Fridtjof Nansen Institute)
Master’s thesis: Community seed networks’ impact on seed preparedness in Norway

Hanna studies how hobby gardeners access seeds through exchange and seed saving, and how this affects the diversity of vegetable varieties that are grown and preserved. She also examines what this means for seed preparedness in Norway, and the potential role of local seed networks in building a more resilient and diverse food system.

Ylva Gunnarsdatter Vågen

Master’s Programme: Global Development Studies, NMBU
Supervisor: Esben Leifsen
Master’s thesis: Civil society’s opportunities for participation in the management of humanity’s common heritage at the International Seabed Authority

Ylva studies civil society participation in the governance of the deep seabed beyond national jurisdiction, defined as the common heritage of humankind under UNCLOS. She examines how the International Seabed Authority (ISA) approaches its dual mandate to regulate mineral-related activities and protect the marine environment as discussions move closer to potential exploitation regulations. Her study assesses the extent to which current procedures enable meaningful civil society participation, measured against internationally recognised standards for transparency and environmental governance.