Barbara Brink

Dr. Barbara Brink is a researcher at the Faculty of Law, University of Groningen, specializing in empirical legal studies and public trust in public law. Her work explores intersections between governance, social policy, and administrative law.

• Key Research Areas: EU multi-level governance, social assistance systems, digitalization in public administration, and transparency in decision-making.

Recent publications focus on the role of humans in automated administrative processes, risks of digitalized risk assessments in social domains, and universalism in social security systems. She collaborates on topics like youth care reforms and household constraints in welfare policies. Her scholarship spans peer-reviewed articles, book chapters, and policy-oriented contributions.

Collaborative work includes contributions to books on rekenkamers (audit institutions) and youth care governance, alongside critical analyses of legislative trends in social assistance and fiscal systems. Her studies often integrate historical and comparative perspectives, particularly in Dutch policy contexts.