Irene Bisasso Hoem
About
Irene Bisasso Hoem is a Phd candidate with research and teaching responsibilities at the department of Education and Lifelong Learning(NTNU). She has an interdisciplinary education background from both the global South and global North in geography, education, childhoodstudies and development studies. She holds a masters degree from Norwegian University of Science and Technology(NTNU), a post graduate diploma in education and a bachelor degree from Makerere university in Uganda.
Since Autumn 2021, she is teaching and working as the coursecordinator in BARN2001 Children's Rights in a Global Perspective and BARN 2003 Introduction to Childhood Studies.
Also a guest lecturer in other courses;Master's Program in Childhood Studies level and examines master theses.
Her PhD research project is about transformative learning among children and youths, towards appreciation of diversity and inclusion in Norway. The project is inspired by transformative learning theory and her long-lived experiences of Obuntubulamu(Ubuntu) -The African indigenous philosophy and Pedagogy.
During her Ph.D., Bisasso Hoem not only returns the research gaze but has also developed a model based on her lived philosophy and pedagogy of Obuntubulamu (Ubuntu) in the Buganda Kingdom in Uganda. Her work demonstrates how Obuntubulamu can offer alternative ways of addressing contemporary societal challenges around the world. Through conferences, lectures, and workshops, she has shared, among others, how this indigenous African philosophy and pedagogy have the potential to foster inclusion, appreciation of diversity, and transformation in education and society.
She has shared among others:-
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Obuntubulamu and Environmental Problems — presented at the GORILLA Conference (Geographical Science for Resilient Communities, Ecosystems, and Livelihoods), Makerere University, Uganda.
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Obuntubulamu, Childhood Studies, and Research Methods — workshops and presentations delivered at the BARN Conferences I and II (Trondheim, Norway), at the Childhood Studies Conference (University of Minho, Braga, Portugal), and for Master’s students at the Norwegian University of Science and Technology (NTNU).
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Obuntubulamu and the Decolonisation of Education — presented at ISFiT 2025 (International Student Festival in Trondheim, Norway).
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Obuntubulamu, Youth Exclusion, and Belonging — presented at the Fremtidstro Conference on Ungt Utenforskap (October 1–2, Rockheim, Trondheim), organized by NTNU Samfunnsforskning AS, Gemini Center Oppink, and NTNU Fellesskapet.
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Obuntubulamu and Mental Health and Recovery — presented at Yale University Campus and at the International Recovery and Citizenship Collective (IRCC) Conference, Yale Program for Recovery and Community Health, as well as at annual conferences organized by the Norwegian Research School of Global Health (NRSGH) and Global Health Norway.
Her master thesis from NTNU focused on children and women as internally displaced persons in urban areas in Uganda, her bachelor dissertation from Makererer University, focused on urban displacement and slum upgrading transformations in Uganda.
Bisasso Hoem's research interests and experience includes children, youth, family and their lived experiences, transformative learning processes, diversity, inclusion, sense of belonging, representation and othering, health inequalities and mental health, forced migration, humanitarianism in local and global settings. She is familiar with different discourses including among others within children's rights(UNCRC and the African charter), childhood studies, decolonisation , humanitarian work and global health.
She is a member of a research group WorldViews , member of Norwegian Research School of Global Health(NRSGH ) where she worked as a research and administrative assistant before embarking on her doctoral studies. She also networks and collaborate with Makerere University, Uganda, and Yale University, The USA
Her past work experiences in Uganda and Norway includes Research, Teaching, Administration, Advocacy, working in NGOs, Private and Public sectors, Universities and Research schools.
Research
With research and teaching experiences spanning from Uganda, Norway, and the USA, my interdisciplinary background in geography, education, childhood studies, and development studies informs my experiences and focus on various topics. These include children, youth, and families' everyday experiences, as well as inclusion, diversity, immigration, forced migrations, humanitarianism, racism, mental health issues, internal displacements, transformative learning, Ubuntu pedagogy and philosophy and children's rights, etc.
Publications
2025
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Hoem, Irene Bisasso;
Ursin, Marit;
Ramirez, Carla.
(2025)
The transformative power of representation among youths: toward appreciating diversity and inclusion in Norway.
Frontiers in Education
Academic article
2024
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Lyså, Ida Marie;
Hoem, Irene Bisasso.
(2024)
«De leker gjemsel med N-ordet»: Et kulturanalytisk blikk på hverdagsrasisme i Norge.
Academic chapter/article/Conference paper
2023
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Ramirez, Carla Macarena Chinga;
Hoem, Irene Bisasso;
Ursin, Marit;
Jjunju, Charlotte;
Lyså, Ida Marie.
(2023)
Finnes det virkelig ikke 'farge' i norsk høyere utdanning og arbeidsliv?.
Feature article
2022
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Darj, Elisabeth;
Hoem, Irene Bisasso;
Dvergsdal, Elin Yli.
(2022)
What Is the Value of a Global Health Research School for PhD Students?.
International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health (IJERPH)
Academic article
Journal publications
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Hoem, Irene Bisasso;
Ursin, Marit;
Ramirez, Carla.
(2025)
The transformative power of representation among youths: toward appreciating diversity and inclusion in Norway.
Frontiers in Education
Academic article
-
Ramirez, Carla Macarena Chinga;
Hoem, Irene Bisasso;
Ursin, Marit;
Jjunju, Charlotte;
Lyså, Ida Marie.
(2023)
Finnes det virkelig ikke 'farge' i norsk høyere utdanning og arbeidsliv?.
Feature article
-
Darj, Elisabeth;
Hoem, Irene Bisasso;
Dvergsdal, Elin Yli.
(2022)
What Is the Value of a Global Health Research School for PhD Students?.
International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health (IJERPH)
Academic article
Part of book/report
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Lyså, Ida Marie;
Hoem, Irene Bisasso.
(2024)
«De leker gjemsel med N-ordet»: Et kulturanalytisk blikk på hverdagsrasisme i Norge.
Academic chapter/article/Conference paper
Outreach
2023
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LectureHoem, Irene Bisasso. (2023) Transformative methodologies: Transformative learning and Ubuntu. WordViews 2023-03-10 - 2023-03-10