Aina Roca

Aina Roca is an academic and researcher affiliated with two major Catalan institutions: the Institute of Government and Public Policy (IGOP) at the Autonomous University of Barcelona (UAB) and the University of Girona (UdG). She holds dual roles as a Research Support Technician at IGOP and an Associate Lecturer in the Department of Political Science at UdG. Her work bridges public policy analysis, political communication, and social welfare systems with a focus on regional governance dynamics.

She completed a Law and Political Science degree at the University of Girona and a Master’s in Social Policy from the Autonomous University of Barcelona. Her career includes research internships at GEPS (UAB) and consultancy roles for political organizations.

Roca’s research interests center on public policies, political parties, political communication, and social innovation. She investigates how decentralized governance impacts welfare equity in Spain, particularly in early childhood education, health systems, and labor market policies. Her recent work highlights Barcelona’s innovative social policies and the role of non-professionalized care networks in addressing familial vulnerabilities.

Key projects include the rEUsilience initiative (EU-funded resilience research), the Innovació social i digital project (2021), and evaluations of Barcelona’s anti-school segregation plans. Her publications span topics like regional welfare regimes, pandemic responses, and the interplay between political ideology and territorial financing.

Roca collaborates with interdisciplinary teams at IGOP and UAB, contributing to policy analysis frameworks such as the Multiple Streams Approach. Her work emphasizes equity, participatory governance, and the transformative potential of social innovation in public services.