Lykke Friis

Lykke Friis
Lykke Friis at COP15 in Copenhagen
Minister for Climate and Energy
In office 2009–2011
Monarch	Margrethe II
Prime Minister	Lars Løkke Rasmussen
Preceded by	Connie Hedegaard
Succeeded by	Martin Lidegaard and Ida Auken
Minister for Equal Rights
In office 2010–2011
Personal details
Born	(1969-10-27) 27 October 1969 (age 47)
Political party	Venstre

Lykke Friis (born 27 October 1969) is Prorector for Education at the University of Copenhagen and is a former Danish politician for the party Venstre and former Minister for Climate and Energy and equal rights. Prior to her political career she has once before been Prorector at the University of Copenhagen and held the position from 2006 - 2009. Prior to her appointment as government minister, she was not a member of Venstre.

Lykke Friis is the daughter of a Danish father and a German mother. She graduated from Øregaard Gymnasium and has studied political science at the University of Copenhagen. Lykke Friis obtained her M.Sc. in Economics and Political Science from London School of Economics in 1992, followed by a M.Sc. in political science from University of Copenhagen in 1993. She got a PhD in international politics from the University of Copenhagen in 1997.Eisenhower Fellowships selected Lykke Friis in 2002 to represent Denmark.

She has worked as an academic in the Ministry of Economic and Business Affairs, and as a researcher in Dansk Udenrigspolitisk Institut. From 2003-2006, she was head of European Politics in the Confederation of Danish Industries. She has taught at both the University of Copenhagen Faculty of Social Sciences and at Copenhagen Business School in international relations.

She has contributed to newspapers, radio, TV, and seminars on EU-related issues, and has written a number of articles and books and such subjects. Her ability to make the EU-material accessible secured her the Danmarks Radio Rosenkjærprisen in 2008.