Lars Rune Christensen

Lars Rune Christensen is a Lecturer at the IT-University of Copenhagen specializing in Digitalisation, Democracy, and Governance within the REFLECT Technologies in Practice Center for Climate IT. He leads research on digital transformation for crisis-affected populations and marginalized communities in the Global South, with extensive fieldwork in Bangladesh and Jordan. Christensen also serves as Education Manager for the Master in IT Management program and previously headed the Technologies in Practice Research Group (2015-2018).

Christensen earned his PhD in Human-centered computing from IT-University of Copenhagen (2010), following an MSc IT in Software Development from the same institution (2003) and a Baccalaureate in Social Anthropology and Ethnography from Aarhus University (1999). His formal pedagogical training includes the Higher Education Teaching and Teaching Practice Program for assistant professors and post docs.

His research bridges digital technologies, anthropology, and ethnography, primarily published within Computer Supported Cooperative Work (CSCW). Christensen has developed systematic frameworks for understanding how practitioners interact with digital artifacts in healthcare and public administration contexts. His work consistently addresses the challenges of implementing digital solutions in complex, resource-constrained environments with attention to cultural sensitivity, ethical considerations, and sustainable development.

Christensen's recent publications reveal a strong trajectory in mental health interventions in humanitarian contexts, digital transformation of public administration with focus on AI and discretion, and participatory design approaches with marginalized communities. His work demonstrates how digital infrastructure can address inequality while navigating complex socio-technical challenges.

• Novo Nordisk Fonden: Syrian mHealth project (DKK 2,000,000)
• Novo Nordisk Fonden: Multiple Rohingya mHealth projects (DKK 1,750,000)
• Danish Innovation Fund: ECOKNOW e-government project (DKK 16,000,000)
• Inger Berthelsen Foundation: TRACE epilepsy treatment study (DKK 750,000)

Christensen actively supervises PhD students, with five completed dissertations exploring topics including discretion in digital governance, digital healthcare in Sudan, and anthropological studies of artificial life. He serves on the advisory board for the CSCW Journal and has held numerous program committee roles for major international conferences. His academic service includes leadership in the Technologies in Practice research group and organizational roles in multiple international workshops focused on healthcare infrastructure and cooperative work.

His research is organized around understanding how digital transformation can support innovation and sustainable development to end poverty and inequality for vulnerable populations, with particular emphasis on citizen-centered approaches to public service delivery.