Helga Hernes
Encyclopedia
Helga Marie Hernes is a Norwegian
political scientist, diplomat and politician for the Labour Party
.
in 1945 as a refugee
. She was an exchange high school student to the United States in 1956, and later took her higher education in that country. A bachelor's degree
from the Mount Holyoke College
in South Hadley, Massachusetts
in 1961 was followed by a master's degree
at the Johns Hopkins University
in Baltimore, Maryland in 1967.
at the Johns Hopkins University, on the thesis The Concept of Community in Modern Theories of International Law. She was hired at the University of Bergen
in the same year, and became senior lecturer in comparative politics
in 1974., She left Bergen in 1980 to work as research director in the Research Council of Norway, and in 1983 she was hired as a research director at the Norwegian Institute for Social Research
. Among her important publications from this time were Staten - kvinner ingen adgang? (1982) and Welfare State and Woman Power. Essays in state feminism (1987), both pertaining to women's studies
. These books were a part of the series Kvinners levekår og livsløp, of which Hernes was the editor, counting seventeen publications in total.
Hernes remained at the Institute for Social Research until 1988, when she was appointed State Secretary
in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs
as a part of the second cabinet Brundtland
. When the second cabinet Brundtland fell in 1989, Hernes returned to her position at the Institute for Social Research. However, in 1990 a third cabinet Brundtland
assumed office, and Hernes again became State Secretary.
Hernes left the cabinet in 1993. She was appointed director of CICERO, the Center for International Climate and Environmental Research – Oslo, and was also an adjunct professor of political science at the University of Oslo
. In 1996 she left CICERO to work as an advisor in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. In 1998 Hernes left both positions to become Norway's ambassador to Austria and Slovakia. She was then Norway's ambassador to Switzerland and the Holy See from 2002 to 2004. In 2004 she returned to her research career to work for Norwegian Social Research
. After one year she was hired as an advisor at the International Peace Research Institute, Oslo
. From 1 July 2006 she combined this job with the position as chair of the Parliamentary Intelligence Oversight Committee (EOS-utvalget), a board for supervision of the Norwegian Police Security Service, the Norwegian Defence Security Staff and the Norwegian Intelligence Service
. Her newest publication is De nye krigene i et kjønnsperspektiv, a part of the anthology Kjønn, krig og konflikt (2008).
She holds honorary degree
s at the University of Tromsø
(since 1993) and the University of Stockholm (since 2002). In 1999 she was decorated as a Knight of the Royal Norwegian Order of Merit, and she was promoted to Commander of the order in 2002.
, a sociologist and former politician. Their son Stein Hernes has been an advisor for Norwegian Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg
.
Norway
Norway , officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic unitary constitutional monarchy whose territory comprises the western portion of the Scandinavian Peninsula, Jan Mayen, and the Arctic archipelago of Svalbard and Bouvet Island. Norway has a total area of and a population of about 4.9 million...
political scientist, diplomat and politician for the Labour Party
Norwegian Labour Party
The Labour Party is a social-democratic political party in Norway. It is the senior partner in the current Norwegian government as part of the Red-Green Coalition, and its leader, Jens Stoltenberg, is the current Prime Minister of Norway....
.
Early life and education
She was born as Helga Marie Jahncke in Germany (today's Poland), and migrated to BavariaBavaria
Bavaria, formally the Free State of Bavaria is a state of Germany, located in the southeast of Germany. With an area of , it is the largest state by area, forming almost 20% of the total land area of Germany...
in 1945 as a refugee
Refugee
A refugee is a person who outside her country of origin or habitual residence because she has suffered persecution on account of race, religion, nationality, political opinion, or because she is a member of a persecuted 'social group'. Such a person may be referred to as an 'asylum seeker' until...
. She was an exchange high school student to the United States in 1956, and later took her higher education in that country. A bachelor's degree
Bachelor's degree
A bachelor's degree is usually an academic degree awarded for an undergraduate course or major that generally lasts for three or four years, but can range anywhere from two to six years depending on the region of the world...
from the Mount Holyoke College
Mount Holyoke College
Mount Holyoke College is a liberal arts college for women in South Hadley, Massachusetts. It was the first member of the Seven Sisters colleges, and served as a model for some of the others...
in South Hadley, Massachusetts
South Hadley, Massachusetts
South Hadley is a town in Hampshire County, Massachusetts, United States. The population was 17,514 at the 2010 census. It is part of the Springfield, Massachusetts Metropolitan Statistical Area....
in 1961 was followed by a master's degree
Master's degree
A master's is an academic degree granted to individuals who have undergone study demonstrating a mastery or high-order overview of a specific field of study or area of professional practice...
at the Johns Hopkins University
Johns Hopkins University
The Johns Hopkins University, commonly referred to as Johns Hopkins, JHU, or simply Hopkins, is a private research university based in Baltimore, Maryland, United States...
in Baltimore, Maryland in 1967.
Academic, political and diplomatic career
In 1970 she took her PhDPHD
PHD may refer to:*Ph.D., a doctorate of philosophy*Ph.D. , a 1980s British group*PHD finger, a protein sequence*PHD Mountain Software, an outdoor clothing and equipment company*PhD Docbook renderer, an XML renderer...
at the Johns Hopkins University, on the thesis The Concept of Community in Modern Theories of International Law. She was hired at the University of Bergen
University of Bergen
The University of Bergen is located in Bergen, Norway. Although founded as late as 1946, academic activity had taken place at Bergen Museum as far back as 1825. The university today serves more than 14,500 students...
in the same year, and became senior lecturer in comparative politics
Comparative politics
Comparative politics is a subfield of political science, characterized by an empirical approach based on the comparative method. Arend Lijphart argues that comparative politics does not have a substantive focus in itself, but rather a methodological one: it focuses on "the how but does not specify...
in 1974., She left Bergen in 1980 to work as research director in the Research Council of Norway, and in 1983 she was hired as a research director at the Norwegian Institute for Social Research
Norwegian Institute for Social Research
The Norwegian Institute for Social Research is a social science research institute based in Oslo, Norway.It was founded in 1950 by Vilhelm Aubert, Arne Næss, Eirik Rinde, and Stein Rokkan. It cooperates closely with the University of Oslo and the Research Council of Norway, but is a contract-based...
. Among her important publications from this time were Staten - kvinner ingen adgang? (1982) and Welfare State and Woman Power. Essays in state feminism (1987), both pertaining to women's studies
Women's studies
Women's studies, also known as feminist studies, is an interdisciplinary academic field which explores politics, society and history from an intersectional, multicultural women's perspective...
. These books were a part of the series Kvinners levekår og livsløp, of which Hernes was the editor, counting seventeen publications in total.
Hernes remained at the Institute for Social Research until 1988, when she was appointed State Secretary
State Secretary (Norway)
In Norway, a State Secretary is a partisan political position within the executive branch of government. Contrary to the position Secretary of State in many other countries, the Norwegian State Secretary does not head his or her Ministry, rather, they are second in rank to a Minister...
in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs
Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs
The Royal Norwegian Ministry of Foreign Affairs is the foreign ministry of the Kingdom of Norway...
as a part of the second cabinet Brundtland
Second cabinet Brundtland
Brundtland's Second Cabinet was a minority, Labour Government of Norway. It succeeded the Conservative Willoch's Second Cabinet, and sat between 9 May 1986 and 16 October 1989. It was replaced by the Conservative/Centre/Christian Democrat cabinet Syse after the 1989 election...
. When the second cabinet Brundtland fell in 1989, Hernes returned to her position at the Institute for Social Research. However, in 1990 a third cabinet Brundtland
Third cabinet Brundtland
Brundtland's Third Cabinet was a minority, Labour Government of Norway. It succeeded the Conservative/Centre/Christian Democrat Cabinet Syse, and sat between 3 November 1990 and 24 October 1996. It was replaced by the Labour Cabinet Jagland. The cabinet was active during two parliaments, both...
assumed office, and Hernes again became State Secretary.
Hernes left the cabinet in 1993. She was appointed director of CICERO, the Center for International Climate and Environmental Research – Oslo, and was also an adjunct professor of political science at the University of Oslo
University of Oslo
The University of Oslo , formerly The Royal Frederick University , is the oldest and largest university in Norway, situated in the Norwegian capital of Oslo. The university was founded in 1811 and was modelled after the recently established University of Berlin...
. In 1996 she left CICERO to work as an advisor in the Ministry of Foreign Affairs. In 1998 Hernes left both positions to become Norway's ambassador to Austria and Slovakia. She was then Norway's ambassador to Switzerland and the Holy See from 2002 to 2004. In 2004 she returned to her research career to work for Norwegian Social Research
Norwegian Social Research
Norwegian Social Research is a social science research institute based in Oslo, Norway.It was established on 1 July 1996, as a merger between four institutes. It is subordinate to the Norwegian Ministry of Education and Research...
. After one year she was hired as an advisor at the International Peace Research Institute, Oslo
International Peace Research Institute, Oslo
The Peace Research Institute Oslo is an independent peace studies institution, based in Oslo, Norway.- History and governance:PRIO was founded in 1959 by a group of Norwegian researchers, among these Johan Galtung. The institute was an affiliate of the Norwegian Institute for Social Research in...
. From 1 July 2006 she combined this job with the position as chair of the Parliamentary Intelligence Oversight Committee (EOS-utvalget), a board for supervision of the Norwegian Police Security Service, the Norwegian Defence Security Staff and the Norwegian Intelligence Service
Norwegian Intelligence Service
Etterretningstjenesten or the Norwegian Intelligence Service is a Norwegian military intelligence agency under the Chief of Defence and the Ministry of Defence....
. Her newest publication is De nye krigene i et kjønnsperspektiv, a part of the anthology Kjønn, krig og konflikt (2008).
She holds honorary degree
Honorary degree
An honorary degree or a degree honoris causa is an academic degree for which a university has waived the usual requirements, such as matriculation, residence, study, and the passing of examinations...
s at the University of Tromsø
University of Tromsø
The University of Tromsø is the world's northernmost university. Located in the city of Tromsø, Norway, it was established in 1968, and opened in 1972. It is one of eight universities in Norway. The University of Tromsø is the largest research and educational institution in northern Norway...
(since 1993) and the University of Stockholm (since 2002). In 1999 she was decorated as a Knight of the Royal Norwegian Order of Merit, and she was promoted to Commander of the order in 2002.
Personal life
Helga Hernes has been married to Gudmund HernesGudmund Hernes
Gudmund Hernes is a Norwegian politician for the Labour Party. He was the state secretary to the Secretariat for Long-Term Planning 1980-1981, Minister of Education and Research and Ministry of Church and Cultural Affairs 1990, Minister of Education, Research and Church Affairs 1991-1995 and...
, a sociologist and former politician. Their son Stein Hernes has been an advisor for Norwegian Prime Minister Jens Stoltenberg
Jens Stoltenberg
is a Norwegian politician, leader of the Norwegian Labour Party and the current Prime Minister of Norway. Having assumed office on 17 October 2005, Stoltenberg previously served as Prime Minister from 2000 to 2001....
.