– Norway needs ARENA to understand and navigate the European political landscape, says Daniel Naurin, who has been the director of ARENA since 1 October.
– Although we are not members of the EU, we are no less dependent on Europe. The important matters of our time, such as migration, democracy, climate, trade and rule of law, will be settled in Europe, our new director argues.
Daniel Naurin, professor of political science, has worked with a broad range of research themes during his academic career, including judicial politics, lobbying, transparency and international negotiations. Much of his empirical work has focused on the politics of the European Union.
Naurin joined ARENA from his position as coordinator at PluriCourts, a Centre of Excellence at Uni. Oslo studying the legitimacy of international courts and tribunals. He will still be affiliated with PluriCourts and the Department of Public and International Law, as well as the departments of political science at the universities of Oslo and Gothenburg.
With experience from other parts of the University of Oslo, Naurin sees potential in cooperation with the research communities at the faculties of law and social sciences.
– ARENA has successfully built an extensive international network and has acquired a strong reputation for research excellence outside the University of Oslo. Going forward, we should put some extra effort into building strong alliances also at home, aiming for a broader and stronger hub of European studies at the University of Oslo.
Daniel Naurin succeeds Erik Oddvar Eriksen, who has been the director of ARENA from 2008 to 2020. Although still new in the job, ARENA is far from new to Naurin:
– I have followed ARENA for many years, and I am full of admiration for what the centre has achieved. I would like to especially congratulate Erik Oddvar for creating and leading a unique research community in the field of European studies, and I am proud to join the team.
PS! Norwegian readers may enjoy Uniforum’s recent interview with Daniel Naurin and last year’s interview with Erik Oddvar Eriksen.
