This text has been translated from Norwegian with the assistance of GPT UiO.
–?What preoccupies you at the moment?
– Right now I’m planning a workshop we’re organising in the EUFOG PhD network. The programme will be quite intensive, with plenty of reading in advance: all 18 PhD fellows in the network will present their research and receive feedback on it.
– In addition, I’m working on an article in which I discuss whether the EU’s commitment to a solidaristic foreign policy is compatible with the Union’s ambition to become ‘strategically autonomous’. The goal is to have a first draft ready for the ECPR Joint Sessions in Innsbruck in April.
–?If you were to explain to an eight-year-old what you do at work using three short sentences, what would you say?
– I try to understand how the international community hangs together. The European Union, which I study, is particularly interesting because European countries have organised themselves in a different way from what is usual in international politics. The EU is an experiment in governing across state borders. By studying the EU, one can learn a great deal about what it takes for states to agree on common policies in a legitimate manner.
– What motivates you in your job?
– Discussions with colleagues are always inspiring – conversations where you can think out loud, brainstorm together, and test whether ideas and arguments really hold up.
– But I also really enjoy sitting by myself to read and write – to immerse myself in new research and new perspectives, and to write my way towards clarity on issues that concern me.
– If you were to become something different, what would it be?
– A gardener, perhaps? Fresh air, physical activity and aesthetics all in one package.
– What do you do to completely unwind?
– I spend time with my family. Or I go for a walk, preferably on skis, or I read a book.