Prof. Marianne Riddervold is a Research Professor at ARENA - Centre for European Studies at the University of Oslo, Norway. She is also a Research Professor (part time) at the Norwegian Institute of European Affairs (NUPI) and a senior fellow at the UC Berkeley Institute of European Studies (IES).
Riddervold holds a PhD in Political Science from ARENA, where she later worked as a postdoctoral fellow and a researcher. Before going back to ARENA, Riddervold was a full professor of International Relations at Innlandet University, Norway.
Marianne Riddervold's professional interests include European integration and institutions, transatlantic relations, European foreign and security policy, EU crises, and theory development within the study of international relations and European integration. Selected publications include Special Issue Out With the Old, In With the New? Explaining Changing EU–US Relations(link is external) in Politics and Governance 10 (2), 2022; The Palgrave Handbook of EU Crises(link is external) (Palgrave 2021); Special Issue Cooperation, Conflict and Interaction in the Global Commons(link is external), in International Relations 35 (3), 2021; Special issue Transatlantic relations in times of uncertainty: crises and EU-US relations(link is external), in Journal of European Integration, 50(4), 2018; The Maritime Turn in EU Foreign and Security Policies. Aims, Actors and Mechanisms of Integration(link is external) (Palgrave, 2018).
Current Projects
Riddervold is involved in several projects and networks. A selection include:
Earth to Orbit - Building Bridges in Space (DISCOVER)
Space has become one of the world’s most critical infrastructures. As the new space race intensifies amidst rising geopolitical tensions, ensuring cooperative use of space’s limited resources is crucial. DISCOVER analyses the key drivers of cooperation and conflict in space governance, highlighting the importance of international collaboration for global security and the stability of modern societies. DISCOVER is conducted in cooperation between NUPI and ARENA and is financed by the Norwegian Research Council. The Institute of European Studies and the Center for International Affairs & World Cultures at Northeastern University(link is external) are also partners in the project.
Changing transatlantic security relations: Implications for Europe and Norway (TransatDefence)
The TransatDefence project, funded by the Norwegian Ministry of Defence, sets out to explore longer-term and ongoing changes in the transatlantic security relationship, what this tells us about the future direction in which the relationship is going, and what this implies for Europe and Norway. The Institute of European Studies and the Center for International Affairs & World Cultures at Northeastern University(link is external) are also affiliated with the project.
Governing Crisis in the European Union (GovernCrisis)
Governing Crisis in the European Union is a two-year cooperation project between UC Berkeley and the University of Agder, Norway. Through establishing meeting places, GovernCrisis aims to make both conceptual progress and empirical contribution in accounting for the EU’s ability to govern in crisis, with relevance for the broader EU integration and political science literature.
Reclaiming Liberal Democracy in the Post-Factual Age (RECLAIM)
RECLAIM studies the implication of post-truth politics on the future of liberal democracy in Europe, and develops policy recommendations, methods and toolkits on how to best respond to various expressions of the phenomenon. RECLAIM is a Horizon Europe funded consortium project under the leadership of the University of Iceland, with ARENA as partner.
Re-engaging with neighbours in a state of war and geopolitical tensions (RE-Engage)
RE-ENGAGE’s overarching ambition is to assist the EU in refining its foreign policy toolbox, including its enlargement and neighbourhood policies. This will enhance the Union’s geopolitical leverage and provide better tools for democracy promotion. To achieve this goal, RE-ENGAGE conducts in-depth studies in six candidate countries – three in the Western Balkans (Albania, Bosnia & Herzegovina and Serbia) and three in the Eastern Neighbourhood (Georgia, Moldova and Ukraine). RE-Engage is a Horizon Europe funded consortium project under the leadership of NUPI.
Transnational Political Networks & The Future of Global Order
Transnational political networks – groups of individuals who transcend national boundaries – are major forces shaping global order, despite great power competition. With financial support from the Carnegie Corporation of New York, and under Professor Mai’a Cross’s leadership at the Center for International Affairs & World Cultures at Northeastern University, the project aims to break new ground in the investigation of transnational political networks through its focus on the types of networks that matter and how they gain influence.
Riddervold is also affiliated with the Jean Monnet Center of Excellence in European Studies at UC Berkeley. The Center's diverse research activities focus on key aspects of the European Union and its role in the world; its member states and the integration process; contemporary European society and culture; and how the EU as a global actor shapes international issues, events, and governance.
