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Katy Norris is a first-year PhD student at UCL’s Department of Political Science.
Biography:
Katy Norris is a first-year PhD student at UCL’s Department of Political Science. Her research focuses on the politics of education systems, with a particular focus on higher education. She holds a Master of Public Policy from the University of California, San Diego, an MSc in Development Studies from the London School of Economics, and BS in International Politics from Georgetown University.
PhD Title:
The Politics of Higher Education Provision.
Short Abstract:
From South Africa to Chile to Spain, institutions of higher education have birthed new ideologies, cultivated activist networks, and served as sites of political contestation. Given the role of the university in challenging the status quo, why do states expand access to higher education to the masses? Do states recognize the potential for civil unrest that stems from higher education and, if so, how do they regulate higher education to promote their own authority and mitigate the potential for social unrest? This research aims to understand the drivers of the so- called “massification” of higher education in the mid- to late-20th century and whether state- building was one of the objectives for this expansion. In addition, this research will examine the mechanisms through which states exert control over higher education, like funding, curriculum, and hiring decisions, to promote social stability and limit the emergence of ideas that challenge their authority.
Research Summary:
Katy’s research focuses on the politics of education systems, and particularly what motivates politicians to provide and regulate education. More broadly, she is interested in the politics of education, protest, and social mobilization. Katy conducts mixed-methods research, leveraging both quantitative and comparative case study research designs to explore questions of interest. Besides her PhD project, she has conducted research on the the political economy of education systems in Latin America, primary education and social control in post-conflict Rwanda, and the political drivers of education quality reforms in Finland.
Research Groups:
- Conflict & Change Research Cluster
- Comparative Politics, Political Economy and Political Behaviour