Maren Larsen – Research Affiliate

B.A. (University of Wisconsin – Madison), M.Sc. (Sciences Po)

Maren Larsen is a research affiliate at the institute contributing expertise in metropolitan governance, social inclusion and accountability, and citizen engagement.

She has worked with local authorities in Latin America and the Caribbean, sub-Saharan Africa, and the Western Balkans on issues ranging from resiliency building to urban service provision. Her research with the Institute focuses on urban development policy in North Africa and the Middle East and seeks to address the challenges of conflict-driven displacement. Her work has been published by the World Bank, USAID, UN-Habitat, and the IOM.

Maren has previously held positions with the OECD (Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development) consulting for the Port Cities Project and Green Growth Program and worked as a Project Manager for the Paris-based local authority association FMDV (Fond Mondial pour le Développement des Villes). Prior to her career in urbanism, Maren was involved in international education as a Visiting Lecturer at the Université des Antilles – Guyane and as a consultant for the UNESCO-based International Association of Universities’ State of Doctoral Education in sub-Saharan Africa program.

Maren speaks French and Wolof and graduated from Sciences Po Paris summa cum laude in 2013. She is currently pursuing her Ph.D. in Social Anthropology at the University of Basel, with field research on urbanity in Goma, Democratic Republic of the Congo.