University of Southern Denmark

SDU is Denmark’s third largest university with 27,000 students distributed across several campuses and five faculties. The Danish Institute for Advanced Studies (D-IAS) at SDU provides a platform for outstanding research across all disciplines. The Department of Political Science and Public Management has an international profile in the fields of, among other things, comparative public policy (Danish Center for Welfare Studies) and international relations (Center for War Studies). Moreover, it is involved in the Interdisciplinary Centre on Population Dynamics (CPOP) and the newly established Digital Democracy Center (DCC).

Role within PROTEMO

SDU will conduct research into the emotional consequences of protective policies among marginal populations (in the disadvantaged housing estate Vollsmose in Odense, Denmark). Moreover, the local research team will investigate policymakers’ perceptions of voters and policy target populations through the lens of emotional feedback and empathy. Case studies of protective policymaking in Denmark will feed into the comparative research on the role of emotions in policymaking processes. PI Peter Starke will lead Work Package 5 “Protective policies and emotions on the policy level.”

Main contacts

Prof (wsr) Peter Starke

Laust Lund Elbek

Our Perspective
on PROTEMO

In this turbulent age, PROTEMO will be a big step forward in understanding the emotional needs of citizens and non-citizens and how the relationship between the state and individuals is shaped by protective policies. We are excited about the opportunities to collaborate across countries, disciplines, and methodological approaches on this fascinating and relevant topic.