Gitte Miller Balslev

Gitte Miller Balslev is an Associate Professor in STEM Educational Innovation at the Department of Mathematics and Computer Science, University of Southern Denmark (SDU), affiliated with the FNUG Research Center. She holds a part-time (25%) position at SDU and previously served as Center Manager at CESE, Copenhagen University of Applied Sciences. She is actively involved in research, teaching, and leadership in educational innovation, particularly in STEM education.

• PhD in Public Innovation, Roskilde University (2013)
• Associate Professor Qualification, University of Southern Denmark (2020)
• Master in Culture and Communication, SDU (2001)
• Bachelor in Sports, University of Copenhagen (1995)
• Research Management Certification, CBS (2024)

Gitte’s research centers on educational innovation, leadership, networks, and reforms in STEM education. She applies institutional, innovation, and network theories to study the implementation of educational changes across sectors. Her work emphasizes engaged scholarship, involving collaboration between researchers and practitioners. Key interests include sustainable education, eco-school management, and pedagogical change aligned with the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals.

Her recent publications (2024–2025) explore collaborative network literacy, exit-tickets in STEM teaching, national science education reform, and democratic educational development. These works reflect a strong trend toward participatory, equity-focused, and system-level innovations in science education, often grounded in case studies and transnational collaborations like The NetEduProject.

Gitte has received scientific recognition, including:

• Best Paper Award (2023) for work on network-based leadership in science education
• PhD Defense Recognition (2013)

She supervises master’s students in education and contributes to curriculum development, including new master’s programs on pedagogical change. She leads and participates in significant research projects such as LabSTEM+, NAFA, and evaluations of informal STEM learning. Gitte is also affiliated with the Center for Primary School Research at SDU, where she investigates eco-school management in the context of societal green transition.