Rasa Bortkevičiūtė is a postdoctoral researcher at Leiden University specialising in the intersection of stakeholder engagement, crisis management and public governance resilience. Following her studies of Public Policy Analysis at the Institute of International Relations and Political Science at Vilnius University, she held research fellowships and visiting positions at Utrecht University, Leiden University, Uppsala University and Queen’s University Belfast. Her research examines the impact of crises and turbulence on governance systems and civil society organisations, with particular expertise in the Baltic region and Central and Eastern Europe. In addition, she has extensive experience in public policy consultancy, working with organisations including the European Commission and the OECD.

More information about Rasa Bortkevičiūtė

Rasa Bortkevičiūtė obtained a bachelor degree of Political Science (2017) and graduated with Magna Cum Laude Diploma in Public Policy Analysis at the Institute of International Relations and Political Science, Vilnius University (IIRPS VU) in 2019. In 2021 she conducted a research fellowship in Utrecht University (supervisor – assoc. prof. Scott Douglas), in 2022 was a visiting researcher in Leiden University under the supervision of prof. Antoaneta Dimitrova, while in 2024 she conducted a fellowship in Uppsala University (supervisor – prof. Daniel Nohrstedt). In 2025, she defended her dissertation titled “Governing in Times of Crises and Turbulence: how does Stakeholder Engagement Link to Strengthening Resilience of the Lithuanian Governance Systems?” (supervisor prof. dr. Vitalis Nakrošis) at the IIRPS VU. 

In 2025 Rasa conducted her postdoctoral fellowship as part of the “Resilient Civil Society” project in Queen’s University Belfast, under the supervision of assoc. prof. Michele Crepaz. Since 2026, she is a postdoctoral fellow in Leiden University, where, as a part of the research group on Governance of Crises, she further analyses the impact of various crises and turbulences on the functioning of non-governmental organisations.  

Research focus

Her research focuses on the intersection of stakeholder engagement in policymaking, crisis management, and the resilience of public governance. In her work, Rasa applies qualitative research methods, with particular expertise in the Baltic region as well as Central and Eastern Europe. She is passionate about enhancing the quality of policymaking through various collaborative, innovative, and evidence-informed practices – an interest that extends beyond research to practical application. She is a member of the advisory group on the Open Government Partnership, established by the Office of the Government of the Republic of Lithuania, and has several years of experience in policy consultancy (at PPMI, currently a part of Verian group), including collaborations with organisations such as the European Commission and the OECD.