معرفی
Nicoline Frølich is Professor and Director of the Centre for Learning and Education (LINK) at the University of Oslo, Norway. She also holds part-time Professor II appointments at the Department of Government, University of Bergen and at NIFU – Nordic Institute for Studies in Innovation, Research and Education.
Education
- 2002 – PhD in Comparative Politics, University of Bergen
- 1994 – Master in Comparative Politics, University of Bergen
- 1992 – Pedagogy, Norwegian School of Economics (NHH)
- 1989 – Master in Economics and Business Administration, Norwegian School of Economics (NHH)
Research Interests
Frølich’s research focuses on governance, management and organisation of higher education systems, institutional reforms, knowledge policies, and public administration. She employs institutional theory to examine how universities and colleges respond to policy pressures, merger processes, quality assurance mechanisms, and leadership communication during change.
Recent Publication Trends
Between 2018 and 2025 her work has concentrated on three interconnected themes: leadership and communication within university mergers, gendered career trajectories in academia, and the tension between quality assurance systems and institutional autonomy. Empirically, her studies draw on Nordic and European cases, combining survey data with qualitative analyses of policy enactment.
Scientific & Professional Appointments
- 2023–present – Academic Chair, Circle U alliance
- 2023–present – Member, SIKT advisory board (Norway)
- 2021–present – Editorial board member, TEAM – Tertiary Education and Management
- 2021–2022 – Chair, EAIR – The European Higher Education Society
- 2019–present – Advisory Board member, UKÄ (Swedish Higher Education Authority)
- 2019–2021 – Co-Editor-in-Chief, TEAM – Tertiary Education and Management
Research Groups & Projects
Frølich leads the research group Knowledge, Learning and Governance: Studies in higher education and work (HEDWORK) and participates in the Policy, Bureaucracy, and Organization (PBO) group. She is currently directing the project Re-Structure, which investigates the effects of structural reforms on Norwegian higher education institutions.
