Mariana S Gustafsson

Mariana S. Gustafsson is an Associate Professor and Docent at Linköping University, affiliated with the Department of Management and Engineering (IEI) and Political Science (STATSV). Her research focuses on the intersection of digitalization and public administration, particularly in welfare systems and governance challenges posed by automation.

Education: PhD in Political Science (2017) from Linköping University, specializing in e-Government. Master’s degrees in Political Science (Central European University) and European Affairs (Lund University).

Research Interests: She explores how digitalization transforms public sector operations, including robotic process automation (RPA) in social services, citizen engagement in conflict zones, and digital inclusion strategies. Key projects include analyzing tensions in Swedish income support automation and international collaborations on e-services in Ukraine, Belarus, and Estonia.

Teaching: Teaches courses on international governance, welfare systems, and comparative political systems. Leads programs like STRIDE (digital innovation in democracy) and SeGRID (digital democracy in Eastern Europe).

Grants & Projects: Funded by FORTE (Swedish Research Council for Health, Working Life and Welfare) and the Swedish Institute. Projects include STREAM-U (strengthening Ukrainian municipalities) and EMDIAC (international digitalization in academia).

Labs/Teams: Active in DINO (Digital Norrköping) and Societal Transformations research groups, addressing digital exclusion and institutional resilience in welfare systems.