Research

How can we build a welfare society that is socially just, economically sustainable and politically viable? That question has been at the centre of my research and public engagement for over three decades.

As Professor of European Public Policy and Welfare, I explore how social rights and welfare policies are designed, administered and reformed in Denmark and across Europe. My research is closely linked to practice and has often informed real-world policy decisions—nationally as well as internationally. I am particularly known as an expert on the Nordic welfare model and have analysed how it differs from and excels in comparison to other European welfare regimes, particularly in terms of universalism, social inclusion and labour market integration.

Over the years, I have served on several key commissions and expert panels, where research and policy meet in practice. These include the Danish Commissions on Unemployment Insurance (2014–2015), Social Assistance (2019–2021), Welfare Reform (2020–2023), and the Expert Committee on Social Services (2023–2024). In addition, I have for many years served as national expert and country coordinator in the European Commission’s European Social Policy Analysis Network (ESPAN, formerly ESPN), which provides analysis and policy advice on social reform, welfare systems and poverty reduction in the EU and its member states. Across these roles, I have contributed to analyses and policy recommendations that have shaped major reforms of the Danish welfare state—from unemployment insurance and cash benefits to youth education, sickness benefits and public governance. These engagements have not only provided a platform for applied research, but also deepened my understanding of the dilemmas and complexities of welfare state practice.

My thematic interests span a broad spectrum—from homelessness and pensions to social inclusion, social investment and activation policy. A recurring concern is the balance between rights and responsibilities, between state and market—and how these balances shift through ongoing reform. I also focus on the interplay between compensation and rehabilitation, and on how social investments—in children, young people and marginalised groups—can promote both social justice and fiscal sustainability.

As long-time expert and country coordinator to the European Commission's European Social Policy Analysis Network I have delivered strategic analyses of the development of Nordic and European welfare systems, especially on Denmark. These include work on:

• Homelessness and Housing First strategies

• Pension reform and fiscal sustainability

• Social inclusion and poverty risks

• Access to social benefits and services for vulnerable groups

• Quality and effectiveness in welfare delivery

My core academic interests include:

• The relationship between universal and selective welfare arrangements

• Governance, legal rights, and incentive structures in social policy

• Public-private boundaries in welfare provision

• Social investment and the future of the welfare state

Current research

My current research focuses on:

• Universalism and differentiated social citizenship

• Market design and quality assurance in residential care

• Governance and public-private balance in eldercare

• Behaviourally informed public policy and administrative burdens

• Policies targeting the 42,000+ young people in Denmark not in education, employment or training (NEET)

I lead and participate in national, Nordic and other international research networks, including ESPAnet (ESPAnet - European Social Policy Analysts Network), which I co-founded in 2003 and hosted its inaugural conference the same year.

Teaching and supervision

I teach social science methodology, public administration, welfare and welfare policy at all levels—from undergraduate to doctoral training. My teaching combines classical theory with contemporary reform processes and is grounded in a belief that research should help us understand—and engage with—the real world.

I supervise a broad range of student projects across RUC’s programmes, focusing on public policy, governance and welfare in the broadest sense. Topics range from empirical studies of concrete reforms to more theoretical or comparative analyses of welfare regimes and policy practices.

Knowledge exchange

Dissemination is a central part of my academic practice. I share knowledge across disciplines and institutional boundaries—through books, reports, commentaries, public lectures and policy briefings.

I regularly give talks on welfare policy, governance and my work in national commissions and expert panels—at ministries, public conferences, and in collaboration with municipalities, NGOs and civil society actors. I also engage with grassroots organisations and informal networks that contribute to rethinking the future of the welfare state.

For me, knowledge exchange is not just about influencing policy. It is also about enriching public conversations, provoking critical reflection and creating connections between research and the lived realities of welfare. When that happens, something meaningful—and sometimes actionable—emerges.

I see research as a dialogue with the world: a reciprocal process, where dissemination, exchange and experience sharpen the analysis and enhance its relevance. And perhaps, with a bit of luck, this knowledge can help make a difference.

Board memberships and partnerships

In addition to research and teaching, I am actively involved in a number of strategic and practice-oriented settings where academic knowledge informs social policy and welfare innovation. I serve on the board of VIVE – The Danish Center for Social Science Research – and on the steering committee of Startblokken, a national initiative under the Danish Sports Confederation (DIF) and the Bikuben Foundation that supports young people on the margins of education, employment and community life.

I also participate in various cross-sector collaborations where researchers, civil society actors and public institutions co-develop and test new approaches to social challenges. This includes formal roles on boards and advisory groups, as well as participation in applied research partnerships and knowledge networks.

These engagements offer valuable insights into how welfare policies function in practice—and help ensure that new knowledge is translated into meaningful change.

Impact

My work in commissions, expert panels and international policy networks has helped shape several major reforms of the Danish welfare state. This kind of impact arises when research engages directly with societal challenges and becomes part of the policy process.

As a member of the Unemployment Insurance Commission and the Social Assistance Commission, I contributed to the analytical foundations of two major reforms—adjusting benefit eligibility and incentives in the unemployment insurance system, and simplifying the structure of social assistance while improving conditions for families with children.

Through the Welfare Reform Commission, I helped inform reforms in four key areas:
First, early intervention and language support in childcare settings for vulnerable children.
Second, new frameworks for the final years of compulsory school, including more practical and flexible teaching and better transitions to youth education.
Third, the Youth Promise (2024–2025), a national initiative targeting the more than 42,000 young people outside education, employment or training, through tailored, cross-sectoral support.
Fourth, a broader shift in governance—from rigid procedural control to trust-based, outcome-oriented and holistic approaches, as seen for instance in the reform of the sickness benefit system.

Most recently, I contributed to the Expert Committee on Specialised Social Services, which developed a new framework for quality, transparency and sustainable funding in residential and institutional care.

At the European level, I have supported policy development through ESPAN, providing input to EU-level strategy and to national policy-making on pensions, homelessness, social inclusion and access to services.

For me, impact is not only about reforming policy. It is also about bringing research into the wider conversations that shape our collective future.