I am Associate Professor of European Politics and Director of Graduate Studies/Educational Transition at Leiden University (Institute of Political Science) and Affiliate Fellow at the Hertie School in Berlin. I work at the intersection of political science and public administration to study how the European Union (EU) takes decisions, implements policy, and is held accountable across its institutions. Throughout my career, I have sought to build a broad profile in EU studies: institutionally, my research spans the European Council, the Council, the European Parliament, the Commission, and EU agencies; substantively, it covers policy fields from economic governance to migration and asylum, foreign policy, and justice and internal security; and analytically, it focuses on various angles, including policy decisions and processes, institutional interactions, political discourse, and public opinion. My recent work, supported by a European Research Council Starting Grant, focuses on the role of cultural perceptions in EU governance—among citizens, civil servants, and political figures. In earlier research, I examined the enforcement powers of EU agencies, political accountability in EU economic governance, and drivers of behavior in EU institutions.

Prior to joining Leiden University in 2021, I worked as a postdoc at the Hertie School in Berlin and completed a PhD in Political Science at the Central European University in Budapest (defended summa cum laude in June 2016).

On a personal note, I am an avid reader of fantasy and crime novels, a Trekkie, a Zumba dancer, and a musical theater enthusiast. I live in The Hague with my husband and our two cats.

Confused about my surname? In 2022, I decided for personal reasons to change my surname to ‘Akbik’, which in academia is an unusual if not self-undermining career choice. You can thus find my publications under the names ‘A. Maricut’, ‘A. Maricut-Akbik’, and ‘A. Akbik.’ I plan to stick to the latter, but when in doubt, you are welcome to call me Adina in both email and in-person interactions.