Ottar Mæstad has accepted an extension of his engagement and will soon enter his second term as Director at the Chr. Michelsen Institute.

-Being Director at CMI is a great opportunity. I have had the pleasure of leading an excellent team of researchers and administrative staff for the past five years, and I really look forward to continue, he says.

As a Director at the Chr. Michelsen Institute, Mæstad has insisted that the research shall address major global challenges, while the institute at the same time keeps the scientific banner high. Research quality and scientific robustness are crucial for any research institute’s credibility and impact.

The world is changing rapidly, and the need for robust evidence to understand and address global challenges in this changing environment is greater than ever, according to Mæstad

- The Sustainable Development Goals will be a framework for development efforts in the coming 15 years. Much of CMIs research will be tuned towards the challenges that these goals address, from ending poverty and reducing inequalities to promoting peaceful and inclusive societies, says Mæstad.

He stresses CMI’s close cooperation with research institutions in the global South as one of the features that makes the institute well placed to contribute substantially to this agenda.

-Close partnerships with research institutions in the South – where people’s lives are most affected by the development challenges – enhances the relevance and impact of our work, he says.

Mæstad first started working at CMI in 2004 and has been the Director since 2010. Prior to becoming Director, he built up the CMI research programme on Global Health and Development.