STIAS has learnt with sadness the passing of respected Norwegian anthropology scholar, Thomas Hylland Eriksen. He was 62.
Eriksen was an anthropology professor at the University of Oslo, Norway. He authored and edited several books, journal articles and op-eds highlighting his interest and passion in understanding the present world, understanding what it means to be human, and helping to bring about social and environmental change. He received his PhD in Social Anthropology at the University of Oslo in 1991.
He was in residence as a Fellow at STIAS in the first semester of 2022 where he was working on a project titled, “The future of biological and cultural diversity: The implications of Anthropocene effects”. He presented a seminar in which he cautioned of an urgent need for an ecological perspective on humanity with implications for biological and cultural diversity.
A former student and colleague of Eriksen’s, STIAS Fellow Knut Nustad described him as a generous and inspiring person. “I have known Thomas since I started studying anthropology in Oslo in the 1990s, when I was one of many students drawn to his introductory lectures. Thomas had a rare gift for inspiring a generation of anthropologists, and he convinced me that anthropology could be both a profound passion and a meaningful academic pursuit,” said Nustad. “He is one of the most generous and open persons I have known, both in how he met me as a student and later as a colleague”, he said.
“At STIAS I had the privilege of knowing him at a more personal level and I much appreciated the discussions about biodiversity and colonial natures we had there. I know how much Thomas valued his time at STIAS and the Institute’s openness, intellectual generosity and hospitality,” Nustad said.
Eriksen was a well decorated scholar with honorary degrees from Charles University in Prague (2021), the University of Copenhagen (2021) and Stockholm University (2011). He was a member of the Norwegian Academy of Science and Letters.
In 2022, he received the Vega Gold Medal from the Swedish Society for Anthropology and Geography. He was awarded the University of Oslo Research Prize in 2017 and the Research Council of Norway’s Communication Prize in 2002.
“Thomas’s passing is an immense loss, but his influence will endure. His contributions to anthropology and his dedication to his students and colleagues have left an indelible mark, not only on my own life but on countless others. He will be deeply missed,” Nustad said.
STIAS Director, Edward K Kirumira said Eriksen was a shining example of a STIAS Fellow, open to sharing knowledge with colleagues and future generations of scholars.
“He made a mark on several of our Iso Lomso Fellows and was an absolute joy to host as a STIAS Fellow. May he rest in peace and may his love for the discipline of anthropology live on,” Kirumira said.