Biography
Marije Balt is Chief Science Officer in the Strategic Advisory Unit (ESA) and Dean of the Academy of International Relations at the Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs. In her role as Chief Science Officer, she connects diplomacy and foreign policy with knowledge institutes and researchers, helping bridge scientific research and diplomatic practice so Dutch foreign policy is consistently evidence-informed. As Dean, she oversees the Academy’s learning and development portfolio, strengthening diplomats’ skills in emerging areas such as strategic foresight. She previously worked at the Advisory Council on International Affairs (AIV).
With over 30 years of experience, she has worked in and with conflict-affected contexts across the Balkans, Africa and the Middle East. Her government roles included postings at the Netherlands’ Permanent Representation to the EU in Brussels and at the Netherlands Embassy in Nairobi from 2005 to 2010. From 2012 to 2020, she worked outside government, founding and leading the research consultancy SpringFactor, through which she partnered with governments, universities, international organisations, including the UN and EU, companies, and NGOs. She has also designed and taught more than 30 undergraduate and graduate courses in international relations.
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Work
- Marije Balt, Rens Twijnstra & Valentijn Wortelboer (2020) - Mid-term review of the addressing root causes (ARC) programme 2016-2021 - [link]
- Marije Balt (2018) - EU-migratiebeleid en de Afrikaanse snelkookpan - Atlantisch Perspectief, 42 (3), 4-8 - [link]
- Marije Balt (2017) - North Ghana public private partnership : exploration study Working with Governments - [link]
- Marije Balt (2015) - Dutch policy on One UN in the field of rule of law: The case of Mali and MINUSMA - [link]
- Marije Balt & Marco Lankhorst (2013) - Assisting peacebuilding in Mali: avoiding the mistakes of the past - [link]
