Shirin Ahlbäck Öberg

Shirin Ahlbäck Öberg's research interest is the auditing and monitoring of the public sector (public management), and in recent years the rise of the audit society. She has also researched the rewards for high public office (in a comparative perspective), and how NPM-reforms challenge professionalism in the public sector. She has extensive experience of teaching at all levels. She is often hired as an expert and she was member of the Swedish Corona Commission 2020–2022.

Shirin Ahlbäck Öberg received her PhD in Political Science in 1999, and she was awarded the docent title (Associate Professor) in 2007. After her PhD she received a postdoc-stipend from the Skytte Foundation (1999), and in 2001-2006 she held a position as Assistant Professor at the Department of Government, Uppsala University. In 2007 she received a position as Senior Lecturer at the very same department, and today she is Professor of Political Science.

Her research interest is the auditing and monitoring of the public sector, and in recent years the rise of the audit society. She has also researched the rewards for high public office (in a comparative perspective), and how NPM-reforms challenge professionalism in the public sector. A recurring theme in her research is that she relates everyday issues of public management and administration to central constitutional and democratic problems. Besides research on the public sector she has also been engaged in parliamentary representation research, e.g. the influence of national parliaments in EU-policy and the changed view of parliamentary representation. She has supervised five doctoral students to their PhD-degree (at three of Uppsala university’s altogether nine faculties).

Assignments within Uppsala University

• Chairperson for CESAR – Centre for Social Work (2021- )
• Board member of the research program Democracy and higher education (2021- )
• Chairperson for the consultative assembly "Universitetskollegiet" for the appointment of a Vice Chancellor for the period 2020–2022.
• Deputy Member (Academic teachers) of the Uppsala University Board, 2017-2020 and 2020–2023.
• Chairperson for the consultative assembly "hörandeförsamling" for the appointment of a Vice Chancellor for the period from 1 January 2018.
• Vice Dean of the Faculty of Social Sciences (2011-2017)
• Acting Dean of the Faculty of Social Sciences (Jan-March 2012)
• Chairperson for the Faculty of Social Sciences’ Recruitment group for lecturers (2011‑2017)
• Chairperson for the Faculty of Social Sciences’ Quality group (2011-2017)
• Chairperson of the Steering Committee of Uppsala Forum on Democracy, Peace and Justice (2014-2017)
• Member of the Steering Committee of Uppsala Forum on Democracy, Peace and Justice (2011-2014)
• Chairperson for Uppsala Center for Labor Studies (2011-2017)
• Member of Uppsala university’s Quality Council (2012-2015)
• Deputy Head of Department, Department of Government (2009-2011)
• Member of Uppsala university’s Academic Senate (2008-2011)
• Member of the Faculty Board of Social Sciences (2008-2011)
• Chairperson for the Faculty of Social Sciences’ Equal Opportunities Committee (2008-2011)
• Member of the Board of Research Ethical Forum (2003-2005)

External assignments:

• External member of the University of Bergen's university board (2021-2015).
• Member of the Government's commissioned inquiry on the Swedish coronavirus handling (2020–2022).
• Member of the Government commission on trust-based public management (2019–2020).
• Member of the scientific council of the Swedish National Audit Office (2016-)
• Member of the scientific council of the Swedish Agency for Public Management (2015-)
• Member of The Bank of Sweden Tercentenary Foundation’s Sector Committee on the Aims and Outcomes in Public-Sector Activities (2012-2014)
• Member of the Board of the Expert Group for Public Economics (ESO) (2007-2013)
• Member of the expert group of the Parliamentary Committee investigating the State Audit reform (2007-2009)
• Member of the Nordic Administrative Association’s Board of the Swedish section (2005–2011)
• Member of the Swedish National Police Board’s Council on Ethics (2004–2009)
• Member of The Bank of Sweden Tercentenary Foundation’s Sector Committee for Public Economics, Management and Leadership (2004-2009)
• Member of the Swedish Election Authority Board (2002-2011)
• Member of the National Council for Quality and Development’s reference group for researchers and practitioners (2002-2004)
• Appointed expert in the Parliamentary Review Committee’s expert group on audit, follow-ups and evaluation (1999-2000)