PLCY 201-002

 

Maarja Soo

 

Address
CV.pdf

Department of Public Policy
University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
CB#3435 Chapel Hill, NC 27599-3435, USA
Tel :  (919) 960 - 8722
Fax:  (919) 962 – 5824
maarja@unc.edu
 

Education

University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (USA)                
Ph.D. Candidate. Public Policy. Specialization: Higher Education Policy

8/2002-[2007]

University of Tartu (Estonia), MA  (Magister Artium) in Public Administration
8/1997-12/2000

University of Oxford (UK) Certificate in Graduate Studies in Political Philosophy
8/1996-5/1997

University of Tartu (Estonia), BA (Baccalaureus Artium) in Political Science
9/1992-6/1996

Western Michigan University (USA), visiting student
8/1994-5/1995
 

Other education

CHEPS international summer school in Higher Education. Maribor, Slovenia 07/2003
Summer school in European International and Defense Policy. Forschungsinsitut der Deutschen Gesellschaft für Auswärtige Politik. 08/1998

 
Professional Experience

Research Associate, Public Policy for Academic Quality research program, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill 
2002-present
The World Bank, Short-term consultant 1-5,9-10/2005

PRAXIS Center for Policy Studies (Estonia), Founding member and Deputy Director
2000-2002

Open Estonia Foundation, Director of the Public Policy Program
1999-2000
 
Publications and Presentations

Publications
Dill, David D. and Maarja Soo (2004) “Transparency and Quality in Higher Education Markets”. In Markets on Higher Education: Rhetoric or reality? D.Dill, B. Jongbloed, P.Teixeira (eds). Higher Education Dynamics Douro Series, vol. 6. Dordrech: Kluwer Academic Publishers.
Dill, David D. and Maarja Soo (2005) “Academic quality, league tables, and public policy: A Cross-National Analysis of University Ranking Systems”. Higher Education 49(4):495-534.

Thorn, Kristian and Maarja Soo (2006) “ Latin American Universities and the Third Mission : Trends, Challenges and Policy Options.” The World Bank Policy Research Working Paper No. 4002. Washington , DC : The World Bank.

Thorn, Kristian, Lauritz Holm-Nielsen, Daniel Hummel and Maarja Soo (2005) Science & Technology in Latin American: Policy options and lessons learned. The World Bank
 

Presentations

"Financial incentives in multi-level organizations: The effect of performance-based funding on Australian universities." Presentation at the Association for Public Policy and Management ( APPAM ) annual conference.  11/04/2006 , Madison , Wisconsin .

“Making temporary inequalities permanent? The effect of regional and socio-economic factors on tertiary education decisions in Estonia ”. Presentation at the 20 th annual AABS (Associations for t
"The effect of higher education expansion on private rate of return: evidence from selected OECD countries". Presentation at the annual CHER conference. 09/19/2004, Enschede.

“Is There a Global Definition of Academic Quality? A Cross-National Analysis of University Ranking Systems”. Presentation at the Association for Public Policy and Management (APPAM) annual conference.  11/08/2003, Washington, DC. (with D.D. Dill)

“A League Table of League Tables: A Cross-National Analysis of University Ranking Systems”. Presentation at the INQUAAHE annual meeting. 04/17/2003, Dublin. (with D.D. Dill)

 
Teaching Record
Instruction

Policy Analysis (spring 2006, fall 2006) - instructor. UNC-CH.

Policy-making Process (spring 2002) – instructor. University of Tartu .

Introduction to the State Philosophy (fall 1998) – co-instructor. University of Tartu .

 

Advising

“Educational inequality trends in the secondary education in Estonia: evidence from qualification exams 1998-2004” (MA thesis)
“The role of think-tanks in the policy making process” (BA thesis)
“Ministerial Chancellor as a public servant of political nature: a critique of traditional dichotomy of policy and administration.” (BA thesis)
 
Awards
Doctoral Research Travel Award, University Center for International Studies, UNC 2005
Future Faculty Fellowship, Center for Teaching and Learning, UNC 2005

Scholars for Tomorrow Fellowship. University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
2002/2003

EuroFaculty scholarship in Public Administration
1998-1999

OSI/FCO Chevening Oxford University Scholarship
1996/1997

College of Art's and Sciences Dean's List, Western Michigan University
1994/1995

USIA and NAFSA Baltic/East Central European Assistance Award
1994/1995
 
Skills
Languages. Active knowledge: Estonian, English. Passive knowledge: Russian, German basic French
Statistical skills: STATA, basic SAS, LISREL