Ny ph.d.-studerende - Mads Færge Grønne

Hi everyone!

My name is Mads, and I started as a PhD student here at the department on September 1st. Before this, I spent the last two years working at the Ministry of Finance's Centre for Welfare Policy ("Velfærdspolitisk Center"). I did my bachelor's and master's here at the department and previously taught in both Methods I and International Politics — so I've already run into a fair few familiar faces, which is nice. 

My time in central administration was educational and exciting, but I've been looking forward to starting my PhD, not least for the chance to go deeper into the topics I care about. My project investigates the rationales behind — and the effects of — administrative decision-making, from the perspective of both citizens and public administrators, using the case of school starting age and student well-being in elementary school. I hope to contribute to the existing literature on the policy effects of school starting age by measuring effects on well-being specifically, while also examining administrative decision-making on school start among both parents and civil servants across municipalities. I'm excited and curious to dive into it, and luckily, I'm fortunate to have Simon Calmar Andersen and Martin Bækgaard as my supervisors to help me along the way. I will be part of the section for public administration and leadership. 

In my spare time, I enjoy playing sports, including various racket sports and football. I'm also on the hunt for a replacement for my old Aarhus-based whist club, which was made up of my former study group from my student days.

Anyone reading this is very welcome to drop by my office (1331-213) for a chat about recent developments in policy evaluation, administrative decision-making at the municipal level — or if you're up for a game of squash or need a member for your card club!