With Øyvind Østerud's passing, Norway has lost one of its foremost social scientists – a sharp, analytical voice in both national and international public discourse. His academic work was marked by a deep interest in democracy, systems of governance and regime change, as well as the role of the nation-state in an era shaped by globalisation, shifting notions of sovereignty, and geopolitical unrest.
Øyvind played a pivotal role in the development of political science as a discipline in Norway and in shaping the Department of Political Science as an institution. He was affiliated with the department from 1973 and was appointed professor in 1980. A Norwegian textbook encompassing the entire discipline of political science was published for the first time with Øyvind’s Political Science: an Introduction to Political Analysis in 1991. From 1998 to 2003, he headed the Power and Democracy Study. Øyvind served as head of department at ISV for two terms (1993-96 and 2008-12) and as vice-president and president of the Norwegian Academy of Science and Letters from 2008 to 2011.
He combined his roles as professor and department head with a deep commitment to knowledge dissemination and active participation in public debate. Øyvind will be remembered as an intellectual force and a fearless voice in public discourse, and he will be greatly missed by his many collaborators.
We send our warmest thoughts to Øyvind’s family and friends.
The department will announce the time of the memorial service once it is confirmed.