معرفی
Rik van Berkel is an Associate Professor at the Utrecht University School of Governance, affiliated with the Department of Public Administration and Organizational Science. His work focuses on welfare state transformations, activation policies, and employer engagement in labor market integration. He holds a PhD in Psychology from Utrecht University (1991) and has extensive experience in policy implementation research.
Research interests include the governance of social policies, HRM strategies for vulnerable populations, and inclusive entrepreneurship. He coordinates the Active Social Policies European Network (ASPEN) and collaborates with institutions like Oslo Metropolitan University and Tilburg University. His projects address disability inclusion, SME employer practices, and frontline delivery of activation policies.
Key areas include the impact of governance reforms on welfare agencies, professionalization of social services, and employer roles in reintegrating hard-to-employ groups. He has led comparative studies across Europe on activation policies and their effects on labor market participation.
