Barbara Fersch

Barbara Fersch is an Associate Professor in the Department of Political Science and Public Management at the University of Southern Denmark, affiliated with the Danish Centre for Rural Research. Her work bridges sociology, public administration, and digitalization, focusing on frontline service delivery in health and social care, particularly in rural contexts.

Her research interests include:

• Trust and care in public services under conditions of uncertainty and crisis
• Digitalization and its impact on inclusion and exclusion in welfare systems
• The role of local context, especially in rural areas, in shaping service delivery
• Qualitative and conceptual methodologies in social science research

Her recent publications explore the digitalization of care in Nordic welfare states, rural digital exclusion, and the sociological dimensions of eHealth. These works consistently emphasize equity, access, and the human aspects of technological change. She frequently publishes in interdisciplinary journals and edited volumes, contributing both empirical and theoretical insights.

She has received the Velux Grant (2020) for her research on emotions, trust, and digitalization during the COVID-19 pandemic. Her current leadership of the Erasmus+ REACT project and the RuDiCare project highlights her commitment to practical solutions for digital inclusion in rural communities.

Barbara Fersch actively supervises students and teaches courses on subcultures, social transformations, and work-life studies. She is involved in numerous peer reviews, conference activities, and public engagements, including media contributions on digital inclusion. She leads and participates in workshops aimed at co-creating solutions with stakeholders.

She is also involved in significant research projects such as:

• REACT (Rural eHealth Facilitators): An Erasmus+ project developing strategies for digital health inclusion in rural Europe.
• RuDiCare: Focused on older people's access to digital care in rural municipalities.
• Human-robot interaction in dementia care: Exploring ethical and socio-cultural implications.
• Patientologie - Human Health: A multidisciplinary project on autonomy and health risk.