King's College London

Mille Marie Isaksen Lillemoen impressed academics at the ARENA Centre for European Studies with her proposal to examine the role of the European Green Deal in shaping national energy policies in Norway and Denmark, and how those policies influence public-private partnerships.

Mille was awarded a grant of 20,000 Norwegian Krone (about £1,500) by ARENA, based at the University of Oslo, and will receive support and guidance from the team there, alongside academics at King’s.

Her thesis could be published as part of an ARENA report series and she will also be connected to the research project, Governing under turbulence: The European Green Deal and implications for Norway’.

She said: “My thesis will investigate how public-private partnerships are shaped by the governance of European Green Deal efforts in Norway and Denmark, two Nordic countries with vastly different relationships with the European Union.

“It’s a comparative study and will illuminate how political and institutional contexts shape the interplay between actors and how this influences compliance with EU climate targets throughout the stages of transitional management.”

Mille is studying for a Double MA in Policies and Governance in Europe and spent the first year of the programme at LUISS Guido Carli in Rome. This year, Mille will be working on her MA thesis at King’s.

Her passion for the green energy transition in Norway was the inspiration behind her decision to embark on the double MA and also for her thesis, which she hopes will play a small part in the successful transition to green energy in her home country.

Mille, a member of the Department of European and International Studies, said: “Studying on the double MA has been an unbelievable experience. I have enjoyed getting to know people from all over Europe during my studies. It has really increased my experience of the European Union and I have enjoyed being in the UK too. I have a ‘southern’ perspective now as well as my own view from the north of Europe.”

Prior to her studies, Mille worked in the energy industry in Norway, starting in oil and gas before becoming a project manager with ONS, a non-profit which brings together leaders in energy, technology and innovation from around the world. Both roles allowed her to “see the issues” involved with energy, climate change and the green transition.

In future, she hopes her research and collaboration with academic and student colleagues during her time at King’s will help inform her work in the future.

“I’m eager to get back to work,” she said. “I want to be where I can contribute the most.”

And Mille’s advice for anyone considering a postgraduate qualification, or from moving from the working world into academia?

“I would encourage everyone to seek out their options,” she said. “In research, people want to collaborate with you and, even if it’s not your field, you can still reach out and speak to other experts. You can also build networks and create possibilities for yourself after your studies.”