Shirin Ahlbäck Öberg

Professor at Department of Government; Faculty

Telephone:
+46 18 471 33 39
Fax:
+46 18 471 34 09
E-mail:
Shirin.Ahlback@statsvet.uu.se
Visiting address:
Östra Ågatan 19
753 22 Uppsala
Postal address:
Box 514
751 20 UPPSALA
Available:
Atterbomska huset, Valvg.4

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CV:
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Short presentation

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.

Biography

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 six doctoral students to their PhD-degree (at three of Uppsala university’s altogether nine faculties).

Assignments within Uppsala University

  • Deputy director of Higher Education and Research as Objects of Study (HERO) 2021–2026
  • Board member of the research program Democracy and higher education 2021-2024
  • Chairperson for the consultative assembly "Universitetskollegiet" for the appointment of a Vice Chancellor for the period 2020–2022, 2022–2025.
  • Chairperson for CESAR – Centre for Social Work (2021-2022)
  • 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:

  • Chairperson for the Swedish Research Council’s review panel on Political science, Law and Public Administration (2025– )
  • External member of the University of Bergen's university board (2021-2025; 2025–2028).
  • Expert on the inquiry into the State's cooperation with the municipal sector 2022–2024
  • 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 (2016–2021)
  • Member of the scientific council of the Swedish Agency for Public Management (2015–2024)
  • 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)

Media

I am often consulted as an expert in the media, and I regularly write opinion pieces and contributes to podcasts. Some examples are listed below.

Government assignments are not the task of academia

Opinion piece in Altinget newspaper

https://tinyurl.com/3zccn8k5

Higher education institutions should not be state authorities

Opinion piece in the newspaper Publikt

https://www.publikt.se/debatt/larosatena-bor-inte-vara-statliga-myndigheter-26989

Universities have slipped into a relationship of obedience under the government

Opinion piece in the journal Forskning & framsteg (Research & Progress)

https://fof.se/artikel/2023/6/universiteten-har-glidit-in-i-ett-lydnadsforhallande-under-regeringen/#klarna:c5c6770e-ca20-5fa5-bf5e-1b9eb6d9a661

What powers does the Public Health Agency have?

We take a deep dive into the unique Swedish administrative model and why politicians rely so heavily on expert authorities (in Swedish).

https://www.sverigesradio.se/artikel/7460258

Sweden can no longer be run like a business corporation

Opinion piece on DN debate page together with colleagues

https://www.dn.se/debatt/sverige-kan-inte-langre-styras-som-ett-foretag/

We can no longer have ‘fair weather management’

In Akademikerförbundet SSR's podcast, Samhällsvetarpodden, we discuss that the voices of democracy – culture, media and academia – need stronger protection than they currently have.

https://akademssr.se/post/vi-kan-inte-ha-vackert-vader-styrning-langre

Högskolepodden #16 – Academic freedom

The debate on academic freedom has been heated over the past year. What does academic freedom actually mean in practice, and how strong is its legal protection in Sweden? This is a podcast from SFS.

https://sfs.se/hogskolepodden-16-akademisk-frihet/

What happens when the state is run like a business corporation?

In this podcast, Statshemligheter, recorded by the ST trade union, we discuss whether it is a good idea for the state to be governed according to the same principles as Volvo or Voi.

https://open.spotify.com/episode/1MbNWflpk54iHgXezRu7os

Shirin Ahlbäck Öberg

Publications

Recent publications

All publications

Articles in journal

Books

  • Det hotade universitetet

    Karlsson, Christer; Ahlbäck Öberg, Shirin; Widmalm, Sten; Bennich-Björkman, Li et al.

    Dialogos Förlag, 2016

  • Exit riksdagen

    Ahlbäck Öberg, Shirin; Hermansson, Jörgen; Lena, Wängnerud

    Liber, 2007

    Open Access

Chapters in book

Collections (editor)

  • Det hotade universitetet

    Ahlbäck Öberg, Shirin; Bennich-Björkman, Li; Hermansson, Jörgen; Jarstad, Anna et al.

    Dialogos Förlag, 2016

Conference papers

Datasets

Monograph doctoral thesis

Reports

Other

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