Associate Professor of Political Science
University of Gothenburg
I study how international organizations manage conflicts, shape policy, and adapt to new challenges — from UN peacekeeping to the global governance of artificial intelligence.
I am an Associate Professor (Docent) at the Department of Political Science, University of Gothenburg. My research spans international organizations, conflict resolution, multilateral negotiations, and the global governance of artificial intelligence.
Before entering academia, I spent several years working in international affairs — as a policy advisor for the United Nations in Bangladesh, at the UN Office of Disarmament Affairs in New York, and at Sweden's Permanent Mission to the UN. This practitioner background informs how I approach research on the real-world workings of international institutions.
I hold a PhD from Stockholm University, a Master in Public Policy from Harvard University (Fulbright Scholar), and degrees from Uppsala University. I have been a visiting scholar at Stanford University, the University of Wisconsin–Madison, the Peace Research Institute Frankfurt, and the University of Tokyo.
My work has been published in journals such as the British Journal of Political Science, Journal of Conflict Resolution, European Journal of Political Research, International Studies Quarterly, Journal of Peace Research, and the Review of International Organizations. I am co-editor of the Handbook on the Global Governance of Artificial Intelligence (Edward Elgar, forthcoming) and co-author of Negotiating the Paris Agreement (Cambridge University Press, 2021).
In 2023 I received the Faculty of Social Science's Pedagogical Prize at the University of Gothenburg.
How do international organizations make decisions, respond to crises, and perform over time? I study the institutional design and policy output of IOs, including how they commit to liberal norms, allocate attention across issues, and adapt to shifting political landscapes. This work draws on original large-N datasets spanning dozens of organizations and decades of policy-making.
How should artificial intelligence be governed at the international level? I co-lead a research program on the emerging regime complex for AI, examining how states, firms, and civil society actors seek to shape regulation. Current projects investigate public preferences for AI governance, non-state actor lobbying on the EU AI Act, and the politics of verification in frontier AI governance. I am co-editor of the Handbook on the Global Governance of Artificial Intelligence.
What drives the UN Security Council's selective attention to armed conflicts? And how are peacekeeping operations designed, led, and deployed? My research examines how political dynamics shape Security Council decision-making, how peacekeeping mandates are constructed, and whether peacekeeping participation has domestic political consequences for troop-contributing countries.
When and why do international actors mediate civil wars — and does it work? My research has examined mediation in the Syrian civil war, the surprising global decline of mediation, the role of organizational bias and trade leverage, and how the proscription of armed groups as terrorists affects prospects for negotiated settlements. I also study local ceasefires and de-escalation dynamics.
How do states, international secretariats, and non-state actors shape the outcomes of multilateral negotiations? I study bargaining dynamics in diverse settings — from climate talks and trade rounds to security negotiations and institutional reform. This includes research on the role of chairs and presidencies, the strategies that lead to bargaining success, and how negotiation management by third parties can improve agreement quality.
Several of my projects have produced original datasets for the research community, including the PEMA (Peacekeeping Mandates) dataset, the IPOD (Intergovernmental Policy Output Dataset), the PAAD (Proscription of Armed Actors Dataset), and data on IO conflict management capabilities. See the publications section for links.
Projecting Power at Home and Abroad: Domestic State Capacity and Military Capability
Journal of Peace Research
PDFStrategic Aid Allocation in Response to Terrorism
British Journal of Politics and International Relations
PDFDebating Threats in the UNSC: A New Dataset on Explanations of Votes 1989–2019
International Studies Perspectives
PDFThe Proscription of Armed Actors: A New Dataset (PAAD)
Journal of Peace Research 62(4): 1241–1251
PDFAI Regulation in the European Union: Examining Non-State Actor Preferences
Business and Politics 26(2): 218–239
PDFTempering the Security Council's Expanded Perception of Threats to the Peace
Nordic Journal of International Law
PDFThe Global Governance of Artificial Intelligence: Next Steps for Empirical and Normative Research
International Studies Review
PDFDifferentiated Influence by Supranational Institutions: Evidence from the European Union
European Journal of Political Research
PDFWhen Are International Organizations Responsive to Policy Problems?
International Studies Quarterly 67(3)
PDFDecision-Making in International Organizations: Institutional Design and Performance
Review of International Organizations 17: 815–845
PDFOnly as Fast as Its Troop Contributors: Incentives, Capabilities, and Constraints in the UN's Peacekeeping Response
Journal of Peace Research 58(4): 671–686
Slow Progress on Rapid Deployment: Reform Initiatives and the Potential Perils of International Policy Paradigms
International Studies Review 23(3): 455–483
PDFDecorating the 'Christmas Tree': The UN Security Council and the Secretariat's Recommendations on Peacekeeping Mandates
Global Governance 27(2): 226–250
PDFCausal Mechanisms in Civil War Mediation: Evidence from Syria
European Journal of International Relations 26(1): 209–235
PDFNaming and Shaming by International Organizations: Mapping Condemnatory Speech Acts Across 27 IOs, 1980–2015
Cooperation and Conflict 54(3): 356–377
PDFExplaining Governmental Preferences on Economic and Monetary Union Reform
European Union Politics 20(1)
PDFBackdoor Peacekeeping: Does Participation in UN Peacekeeping Reduce Coups at Home?
Journal of Peace Research 55(4): 508–523
PDFTaking Center Stage: Decoding Status Hierarchies from Group Photos of European Leaders
European Union Politics 19(4): 549–569
PDFStability and Change in International Policy-Making: A Punctuated Equilibrium Approach
Review of International Organizations 13(4): 547–572
PDFFrom Revolution to Resolution: Exploring Third-Party Mediation in Nonviolent Uprisings
Peace and Change 43(3): 271–291
PDFWhich International Organizations Can Settle Civil Wars?
Review of International Organizations 12(4): 613–641
PDFThe Performance of International Organizations: A Policy Output Approach
Journal of European Public Policy 23(7): 1077–1096
PDFMediation in Syria: Initiatives, Strategies, and Obstacles, 2011–2016
Contemporary Security Policy 37(2): 273–288
PDFLeanings and Dealings: Exploring Bias and Trade Leverage in Civil War Mediation by International Organizations
International Negotiation 19(2): 315–342
PDFInternational Organizations as Peacemakers: The Evolution and Effectiveness of Intergovernmental Instruments to End Civil War
PhD dissertation, Stockholm University
Bargaining
In: Gagnon, Stockemer, and Sawyer (Eds.) Encyclopaedia of Political Science. Springer
Chairs in Multilateral Negotiations: Roles, Strategies, and Impact
In: Svensson and Möller (Eds.) Nuclear Negotiations. Springer
PDFMediation in Syria 2016–2019: A Tale of Two Processes
In: Fraihat and Svensson (Eds.) Conflict Mediation in the Arab World. Syracuse University Press
Mediation and Peace Agreements
SIPRI Yearbook 2014. Oxford University Press
AI-reglering i Europeiska unionen: Vad vill näringslivet och andra icke-statliga aktörer?
SIEPS 2024:4
LinkInfluence in Multilateral Aid Organizations: A Literature Review
Expert Group for Aid Studies, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Sweden
LinkMember State Influence in the Negotiations on the NDICI
Expert Group for Aid Studies, Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Sweden
PDFWhen Security Meets Survival: The Impact of the Houthi Terrorist Designation on Aid to Yemen
AidData Policy Brief
LinkSå kan EU forma den globala regleringen av AI
Dagens Industri (op-ed)
I teach courses in international politics, conflict and conflict resolution, and quantitative methods at the University of Gothenburg. I supervise students at bachelor's, master's, and doctoral levels. In 2023, I was awarded the Faculty of Social Science's Pedagogical Prize.
I have developed a set of browser-based interactive simulations for my course on Conflict and Conflict Management. Students can explore core concepts — from the security dilemma to UN Security Council veto dynamics — through hands-on experimentation.
View Simulations →Magnus Lundgren
Department of Political Science
University of Gothenburg
Box 711, 405 30 Gothenburg, Sweden