Elissaveta Radulova (E.J.)
Dr. Elissaveta Radulova is an Associate Professor at the Political Science Department of Maastricht University. She holds MA degrees in International Relations and European Public Affairs, and defended a PhD thesis on the non-tangible (discursive) effects of international organizations on domestic policy-making processes. She teaches and does research in the interdisciplinary field of European Governance.
Expertise
Higher Educational Management, European Public Policy, European Studies, Qualitative Methods (Interviewing and Content Analysis), Research Design
I joined the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences (FASoS) in September 2003 as a junior lecturer in the European Studies bachelor programme. Since then I have assumed various positions at FASoS, which allowed me to develop expertise in:
- assessment policy, educational and exam regulations, and quality assurance (as Chair of the FASoS Board of Examiners for 6 years)
- curriculum development (as Programme Director of BA ES and as Constructive alignment project leader and liaison with EDLAB – the educational innovation laboratory of UM – both for 2 years)
- student selection and admissions (Admission Board member for the MA Programme European Public Affairs for 1 year)
- steering of course development Programme Director of BA ES and of MA Analysing Europe in total for 5 years)
- relations with alumni and student employability policy (FASoS Employability coordinator for 1 year)
- quality assurance of educational programmes - instruction and course development perspective (as member of the Educational Programme Committee for 3 years).
Since 2021 I work as Associate Professor in Educational Development at the Department of Political Science of FASoS.
Career History
June 2019 - August 2022
Maastricht University, Maastricht, the Netherlands
Programme Director of BA European Studies
September 2018 - August 2019
Maastricht University, Maastricht, the Netherlands
Student Employability coordinator of FASoS
September 2012 - August 2018
Maastricht University, Maastricht, the Netherlands
Chair of the FASoS Board of Examiners
September 2009 - August 2012
Maastricht University, Maastricht, the Netherlands
Director of Studies of MA "Analysing Europe"
September 2004 - August 2011
Universiteit Maastricht, Maastricht, the Netherlands
Researcher and PhD candidate
September 2003 - August 2004
Universiteit Maastricht, Maastricht, the Netherlands
Junior Lecturer (docent)
June 2003 - July 2003
European Institute of Public Administration, Maastricht, the Netherlands
Research assistant
July 2002 - August 2002
Pantea Small Business Policy Research, Zoetermeer, the Netherlands
Trainee
Education:
September 2004 - August 2011
Universiteit Maastricht, Maastricht, the Netherlands
Degree: PhD title
September 2002 - June 2003
Universiteit Maastricht, Maastricht, the Netherlands
Degree: MA in European Public Affairs (Cum Laude)
October 2001 - June 2002
Institute of Advanced European and International Studies, Nice, France
Degree: MA in Advanced European and International Studies
October 1996 - July 2001
University of Sofia 'St. Climent Ochridski', Sofia, Bulgaria
Degree: BA in Business Administration (major) and Economics (minor)
Research Profile
I study good governance in various contexts: at organizational, institutional, nation-state, and EU level. I examine the conditions in which it emerges and can be sustained.
In particular, I zoom onto the processes of public consultation and interest aggregation within the regulatory system of the European Union (EU), and the usage of expertise by EU policy-makers.
Key publications
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Radulova, E. (2011). Europeanization through Framing? : an Inquiry into the Influence of the open method of coordination on childcare policy in the Netherlands. [Doctoral Thesis, Maastricht University]. Maastricht University. https://doi.org/10.26481/dis.20111007erMore information about this publication
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Radulova, E., Spendzharova, A., & Breuer, J. (2021). The European Commission’s Expert Groups: Adapting to the Contestation of Expertise. In V. Abazi, J. Adriaensen, & T. Christiansen (Eds.), The Contestation of Expertise in the European Union (pp. 91-121). Palgrave Macmillan. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-54367-9_5More information about this publication
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Nastase, A., & Radulova, E. (2025). When Consultants Come to Town: How the European Commission Justifies the Involvement of Private Contractors in Online Public Consultations. International Review of Public Policy, 7(2). https://doi.org/10.4000/14mnkMore information about this publication
Education Projects
Since October 2023 I coordinate the 3-year Jean Monnet educational project "Regulating Crisis in the EU" under the ERASMUS+ programme of the EU.
I regularly contribute to educational projects of EDLAB:
- PREMIUM Excellence programme (2025 - present)
- "AI and the Future of Learning at UM" (2025-2026)
- "Professionalisation of the UM Boards of Examiners" (2017 - present)
- "Constructive Alignment" (2014-2018)
- "First Jobs - Adequate Competences?" (2012-2013)
- "Assessment practices at FASoS" (2010-2011)
Teaching
I contribute to the European Studies programmes of the Faculty: BA ES, MA ES, MA EPA and RMES. I teach in courses devoted to EU public policy-making, qualitative research methods, and also in research skills trainings (academic writing, qualitative methods, expert interviewing, research designs, etc.) My main teaching roles include:
- Coordinator of the Research Skills Track of MA EPA (MARSAM)
- Tutor in the 3rd-year BA ES course "Regulating Crisis in the EU"
- Various lectures in BA ES, MA ES, and MA EPA
- Supervisor of BA ES and MA EPA final theses.
In addition, I take part in academic coaching:
· of MA students as project and competence coach in PREMIUM (the UM excellence programme for Master students)
· of 1st-year BA ES and the MA EPA students as mentor
· of new Faculty members as BKO coach in the Basic Teaching Qualification programme of FASoS
· of starting and advanced members of the Board of Examiners (across the 6 UM Faculties) as EDLAB trainer.