Daniel Roger Maul

Daniel Roger Maul is a Professor of History at the University of Oslo's Department of Archaeology, Conservation and History, specializing in global social policy across the 19th and 20th centuries. He has taught modern and contemporary history at the University of Oslo since 2016 and served as head of the master's program in international and transnational history (MITRA) from 2017-2021 and again from 2023.

Maul earned his Master's degree (2000) and PhD (2006), both in modern history, from Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität München after studying contemporary history, ancient history, human geography and political science in Erlangen, Bremen and Bologna. Prior to Oslo, he held teaching positions at Justus-Liebig-University in Giessen (including as a Dilthey fellow at the German Volkswagen Foundation from 2010) and as associate professor at Aarhus University (2014/2015).

His research centers on humanitarian aid, international organizations, and global labor relations discourses since the 1970s, exploring social justice concepts, development practices, and motivations behind transnational aid activities. Maul's scholarly approach combines deep historical analysis with contemporary relevance, examining how historical developments in global governance continue to shape current social policy frameworks. His work demonstrates particular expertise in analyzing institutional evolution within international organizations and the interplay between humanitarian ideals and political realities.

Maul's publication record reveals a consistent focus on the International Labour Organization (ILO), culminating in his 2019 monograph '100 Years of Global Social Policy,' which has been translated into multiple languages. His recent scholarship has expanded to examine American Quaker humanitarian operations (2024's 'The Politics of Service') and algorithmic governance in the workplace, showing remarkable adaptability across historical periods and thematic concerns while maintaining his core interest in global social policy development.

As an active researcher, Maul contributes to several significant projects including Global Social Policy, Critical Historiography/global and transnational perspectives, Digiwork/Algorithmic governance, Nordic Civil Societies studies, and The Sandbjerg summer school in global history. These initiatives reflect his commitment to interdisciplinary approaches and international scholarly collaboration in examining historical phenomena through multiple analytical lenses.