By Lucca Elisa Pedersen Szast and Susanne Clement Justesen, AAU Communication and Public
Photo: Lars Horn, Baghuset. Graphic: Søren Emil Søe Degn, AAU Communication and Public

Eight early-career researchers were admitted to the university's talent development programme AAU Excellence 2025. In the coming weeks, we will present their research and thoughts on their participation in the ambitious talent programme for early-career researchers at AAU. 

The first portrait in the series is Ida Bæk Hjermitslev, Assistant Professor in the Department of Politics and Society. Her research area includes how voters' attitudes and political identity are shaped by how parties cooperate and compete in coalitions.

Coalition politics and voter behaviour

According to Ida Bæk Hjermitslev, coalition politics plays a crucial role in modern, parliamentary democracies. It affects not only how governments are formed, but also how voters understand and engage with politics. Voters therefore must not only decide which politician they want to vote for. They must also take into account how the parties cooperate, compete and compromise.

"My research can help shed light on how coalitions can either dampen or intensify political tensions and polarization, which is crucial for ensuring stable and well-functioning democratic systems, and is particularly relevant in a time characterized by misinformation and political polarization."

Important milestone

As a participant in AAU Excellence, Ida Bæk Hjermitslev is looking forward to strengthening her research management skills and developing a pilot project that can eventually be a larger research initiative.

"Being selected for AAU Excellence is a great honour and an important milestone in my career," says Ida Bæk Hjermitslev, who holds a PhD from Duke University in the USA and has been a postdoc at the University of Vienna.

Read more about the eight participants in AAU Excellence.

Translated by LeeAnn Iovanni, AAU Communication and Public Affairs