About us

The project team consists of researchers from the Institute of Economics, Zagreb, and the Faculty of Public Administration of the University of Ljubljana, and includes the following researchers:

Jelena Budak, PhD, Project Leader:

• Research interests: quality of public governance and the economics of corruption; institutional change in the online environment; survey research

Zoran Aralica, PhD, Project Associate:

• Research interests: technological transformation; industrial policy; innovation policies; clusters; digital innovation hubs

Bruno Škrinjarić, PhD, Project Associate:

• Research interests: applied econometrics; economics of education; industrial economics; consumer privacy concerns

Aleksander Aristovnik, PhD,Co-Leader of the Project:

• Research interests: artificial intelligence in public administration; smart (hybrid) public governance; digital transformation and e-government; public sector economics and management; public finance and public debt; EU public policies and regulatory frameworks; higher education, e-learning, and digital learning

Dejan Ravšelj, PhD, Project Associate:

• Research interests: generative artificial intelligence in higher education; e-learning; digital learning; development of digital and transversal skills; student employability; labour market; public sector economics and management; economic aspects of digitalisation and artificial intelligence in the public sector

Matej Babšek, PhD, Project Associate:

• Research interests: artificial intelligence in public administration; regulation of artificial intelligence; bibliometric analysis; artificial intelligence tools; digital transformation of the public sector; impact of artificial intelligence on administrative processes, social services, and e-government; administrative reforms

Tina Jukić, PhD,Research Associate:

• Research interests: organisational and IT aspects of introducing artificial intelligence in public administration; digital transformation of public administration; e-government; smart public governance; co-creation and co-production of public services; open public data; evaluation of public policies and digital projects

Sanja Vrbek, PhD, Project Associate:

• Research interests: optimisation of operational processes in local government; co-creation of public services; digital transformation of administration; artificial intelligence in public administration; open data; data-driven policies

Polonca Kovač, PhD, Project Associate:

• Research interests: legal aspects of introducing artificial intelligence; digitalised administrative procedures; automated decision-making in public administration; personal data protection and transparency; e-participation and access to rights; administrative-procedural innovations; oversight, appeals, and legal protection

Eva Murko, Project Associate:

• Research interests: determinants of artificial intelligence adoption; artificial intelligence in public administration; impact of artificial intelligence on the principles of public governance and on socioeconomic well-being