Stein Oluf Kristiansen

Stein Oluf Kristiansen is a Professor in the Department of Economics and Finance at the University of Agder (UiA) in Norway, where he has worked full-time since 1989. He also holds an honorary professorship at the Faculty of Economics and Business at Gadjah Mada University (UGM) in Indonesia, reflecting his extensive international engagement. His academic career spans over three decades with significant contributions to development studies, particularly focusing on Southeast Asia and Africa.

Professor Kristiansen's educational qualifications include:

• cand.polit. degree from University of Bergen
• cand.merc. degree from Norwegian School of Economics
• PhD from Norwegian School of Economics

His research interests focus on development studies, examining entrepreneurship and innovation, governance and corruption, the digital divide, and common pool resource management in developing economies. Kristiansen applies New Institutional Economics as a theoretical framework for analyzing land-use efficiency in areas with communal land ownership in Indonesia. His work bridges economic theory with practical development challenges across multiple continents.

Professor Kristiansen serves in several leadership capacities:

• Former long-term leader of the Development Studies Program at UiA
• Current study program coordinator for ASEAN Master in Sustainability Management funded by the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs
• Current leader of internship programs for Master students working in Norwegian enterprises across five countries (Norway, China, India, Indonesia and Tanzania)
• Editorial Board member for Gadjah Mada International Journal of Business and Journal of Indonesian Economy and Business

With 30 years of experience, Kristiansen has built extensive networks with universities in Africa and Asia. He has recently delivered public lectures on the Nordic Development Model at Jawaharlal Nehru University (JNU) in India and Gadjah Mada University (UGM) in Indonesia. His research programs have been funded by the Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and NORAD, demonstrating sustained institutional support for his international academic work.