Katharina Glaab

I am an International Relations scholar who is driven by an interest in the politics of environmental and socio-technical changes in the Anthropocene. My research problematizes how norms and knowledge practices in global governance are constituted in response to an increasing ecological crisis with an empirical focus on agricultural biotechnology and climate change politics. I joined Noragric, NMBU, in 2016 as an Associate Professor in Global Change and International Relations. My PhD (2014) is from the University of Münster, Germany, where I also obtained a Magister in Political Science, Chinese Studies and history. I was a post-doctoral research fellow at the Cluster 'Religion and Politics' at the University of Münster and held visiting fellowship positions at Jawaharlal Nehru University in Delhi, India, Tsinghua University, China, and Fridtjof Nansen Institute, Norway.

My research revolves around three main themes:

Critical norm research in International Relations theory depicts a critical engagement with norm research in International Relations. It engages with the theoretical assumptions of constructivist norm research, and examines how governance norms emerge and how conceptual claims of for instance diffusion, socialization or translation of norms shape empirical scholarship. These theorizations are also reflected in my more empirically informed articles in the field of global environmental politics.

Knowledge and expertise in global governance examines how knowledge is constituted, challenged, and negotiated in global governance institutions. A theoretical concern is the broadening of the notion of expertise by going beyond narrow scientific and technical understandings of expertise, and to include and investigate moral or experience-based forms of knowledge. These conceptual contributions have been informed by my work on GM-food governance in China and India and faith-based advocacy at the United Nations.

Power and change in environmental politics focuses on how power relations impact environmental politics and sustainability transitions in global governance. A common line of inquiry is the different sources and manifestations of power in governance processes. It explores the interplay of global norms and local forces in shaping agri-food and climate change governance and makes the case that technological advances and policies need to be analysed by considering the intersection of material and ideational dimensions of power.