Professor Pippa Norris was presented with an Honorary Degree of the University of London by Royal Holloway for her work as a political scientist.
Her commitment to the field has helped shape both academic research and public policy, providing insight into the challenges facing democracies across the world.
Pippa’s academic journey began while studying politics and philosophy at the University of Warwick, completing her postgraduate studies at the London School of Economics.
Her research areas included gender politics, voting behaviour, political communications and populism, driven by her endless commitment to understanding how democracy works in the real world.
Pippa went on to teach at The University of Northumberland and The University of Edinburgh, before moving to the USA in 1992, where she is now the Paul F. McGuire Lecturer in Comparative Politics at the John F. Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University.
Alongside lecturing at Harvard, Pippa was the founding Director of the Electoral Integrity Project, a research initiative which focuses on why elections fail, why this matters and what can be done to strengthen integrity. She is also Vice President of the World Values Survey and Director of the Global Party Survey.
Publishing a huge body of research, including authoring and editing around 50 books and 300 journal articles, her work has influenced scholars, policymakers and international organisations, and anyone looking to understand contemporary political developments.
It is her expertise and strong research background which has led to organisations like the United Nations, NESCO, the Council of Europe, the World Bank and the UK Electoral Commission collaborating with Pippa on ways to strengthen global electoral processes.
She has also been a lifelong advocate for the advancement of women in political science, with her research on gender equality helping to highlight the importance of women’s political representation and participation.
Speaking at the ceremony, Dr Chris Prosser, Associate Professor from the Department of Politics, International Relations and Philosophy, said: “I am delighted to be able to take the opportunity to recognise Pippa’s distinguished career and her enduring contribution to political science.
“She has received many honours and awards throughout a storied career, in which she has educated widely and enabled democratic change. We are delighted to add this recognition to her impressive list.”
