Field of work
I am a historian. That is to say, my primary interest lies in understanding humans and human societies - both past and present. My research particularly focuses on contact and interaction, networks between peoples and places, and the relationship between the local and the global. My main areas of study are antiquity (ca. 500 BCE - 500 CE) and the long 19th century, both with a focus on Asia.
I teach general history, with particular emphasis on long-term historical developments, global history, the history of democracy, and imperialism. I am passionate about developing my students’ understanding of history as more than a past gone by, but rather as a force that actively shapes all aspects of our present lives. I also have a special interest in using games, field trips, and drama-based pedagogy in history education.
My key research interests include:
- Global History: I focus particularly on the relationship between local actors and global trends, such as how prestigious foreign goods were integrated into local power dynamics.
- The Silk Road during the first millennium CE. I'm especially interested in understanding how such an extensive trade network functioned in practice.
- 19th Century Imperialism: With a particular focus on East Asia, local responses to European imperialism, and European scientific expeditions.
- Asian History: Focusing on Inner Asia, China, and Japan.
- Game-Based Learning, with a specific emphasis on history education.
You can find an overview of my research work in my Cristin profile, and all my open-access articles are available on Academia.
Teaching Areas
- Primary School Teacher Education (Grades 1-7)
- Primary/Lower Secondary School Teacher Education (Grades 5-10)
- Master's in Social Studies Education
Research Areas
- Global History
- The Silk Road
- 19th Century Imperialism
- Asian History
- Game-Based Learning
Research Groups
TIDsROM
The Ancient World (University of Bergen)
- MDIP502C, Memory culture: Politics, critique and didactics, 24/25
- MDIP550C, Master's thesis, 24/25
- MGBSA101, Social studies 1, module 1 - Introduction to social studies 1, 24/25, subject responsible
- MGUSA101, Social studies 1, module 1 - Introduction to social studies 1, 24/25, subject responsible
- MGUSA131, Social studies 1, module 1 - Introduction to social studies 1, 24/25
- MGUSA550, Social studies 3, module 4 - Master's thesis, 24/25
- MPUV505, Educational research in practice, 24/25
- PHD901, Bildung and pedagogical practices, 24/25
- PHD950, Doctoral thesis, 24/25
Publications
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Seals and Sealing Practices in the Kingdom of Kroraina
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Forms of Mobility in the Southern Tarim Basin in the 7th to 10th Centuries
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What digital educational resources are in use by UNESCO Global Geoparks? Report 1 from the GeoSite project
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Islands in a sea of sand: The role of Tarim Basin polities in global trade during late antiquity
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Trade, Buddhism, and the Kushan Connection: Exchange across the Pamir Knot and the Making of the Silk Roads, 2nd Century BCE to 5th Century CE