معرفی
Mari Elken is an Associate Professor at the University of Oslo's Department of Education and holds a senior researcher position at NIFU (co-employment). Her research focuses on organizational analysis, higher education policy governance, academic freedom, and internationalization. She leads projects such as the Research Council of Norway-funded 'COUPLING' (2021–2026) and has served in roles like Acting Head of Research at NIFU.
Education:
- PhD in Educational Sciences, University of Oslo (2016)
- MPhil in Higher Education, University of Oslo (2008)
- BA in Art Teacher Education, Tallinn Pedagogical University, Estonia (2004)
Research Interests: Elken explores how governance instruments shape higher education institutions, particularly in the context of organizational coupling and policy implementation. Her work analyzes academic freedom trends in Europe, university responses to technological disruptions (e.g., ChatGPT), and the evolving relationship between higher education and labor markets. She emphasizes institutional autonomy and quality assurance frameworks in European contexts.
Grants and Projects:
- COUPLING (2021–2026): Examines organizational coupling in universities.
- RESTRUCTURE (2019–2024): Analyzes Norway’s higher education structural reforms.
- MOBILITY (2018–2022): Studies international student mobility patterns.
Awards and Recognition: No specific awards listed, but her work has been supported by the European Parliament’s STOA panel and the Research Council of Norway.
Professional Roles:
- Project leader for EU-funded studies on academic freedom.
- Member of editorial boards for journals like European Educational Research Journal.
- Expert reviewer for multiple academic journals.
Labs/Teams: Leads the Knowledge, Learning, and Governance research group (HEDWORK) at the University of Oslo.
