Website with the leading work of Mark Bovens
Diploma democracy, whistleblowers, ‘doenvermogen’ (the capacity to act)? These and other well-known concepts were introduced by public administration scholar Mark Bovens. Bovens, now emeritus professor of Public Administration and Organisation Science and former member of the Scientific Council for Government Policy (WRR), made a significant contribution to social developments with his extensive academic work. The leading publications from his work are now collected on a website and therefore accessible to a wide audience.
The publications that are still relevant and topical
One of the initiators of the website, Thomas Schillemans, one of the current professors of Public Administration and Organisation Science, explains that the site contains a selection from Bovens' extensive academic work: Actually, it is The Best of Bovens: the website is not a complete overview, not an overview of the highlights of his career, but it is about the original publications that are still relevant and topical.
The site is designed around seven important themes in the work of Mark Bovens:
- Whistleblowing and integrity
- Responsibility and accountability
- The digital rule of law
- Democratic renewal
- Science and society
- Capacity to act
- Diploma democracy and meritocracy
Schillemans emphasizes that many of these themes in Public Administration, and certainly at the Utrecht University School of Governance (USG), are still on the research agenda, such as integrity, accountability and diploma democracy and its social effects. This also builds on the ideas of Mark Bovens.
Mark Bovens
Professor of Public Administration Mark Bovens said goodbye to Utrecht University in November 2024. Among other things, he was one of the founders of the Utrecht University School of Governance (USG), the successful educational programme in Public Administration and Organisation Science, and he shaped public administration research in Utrecht, which is now internationally renowned. He was also a member of the programme team of the Strategic Research Theme Institutions for Open Societies (IOS) at Utrecht University from the very beginning. Bovens is known to many as the inventor of concepts such as 'whistleblowing', 'diploma democracy' and ‘doenvermogen’ (capacity to act) and for his influential work for the Scientific Council for Government Policy (WRR).
At his farewell, he gave an interview about his rich, working life: 'You shouldn't take yourself as a measure.’
Podcast Bovens & Hermsen
Together with Justin Hermsen, student of Public Administration and Organisation Science, Mark Bovens is currently making the podcast Bovens & Hermsen, in which they receive guests and reflect on current developments, for example: the functioning of a minority cabinet or the results of the municipal elections in the Netherlands.