Dr. Willem Goutry
Question & answer
What is your research about?
In September 2025, I successfully defended my PhD titled “Towards Local Participatory Governance: Local Executive Politicians’ and Civil Servants’ Perspectives and Roles.” This research was part of the interdisciplinary project “The Changing Face of Local Democracy.”
My doctoral work focused on the attitudes and roles of mayors, aldermen, and local civil servants in participatory processes. I am currently affiliated with the Department of Public Governance and Management and the Department of Political Science. After completing my PhD, my research mainly looks at the collaboration between local politicians and civil servants, and how their relationship takes shape within specific governance contexts, such as participatory decision-making.
What sparked your interest in this topic?
As a political scientist, I have always been fascinated by local government, the level closest to citizens. While municipalities share many similarities, each local context is still unique, which makes it an intriguing area to study. I am also interested in questions of scale and in how we can strengthen our democratic system through citizen engagement, both in traditional and more innovative forms.
Why is your research socially relevant?
My research focuses on the actors who hold most of the decision-making power in our local democracies. However, the traditional representative system is under pressure. Citizen participation and intermunicipal cooperation can help strengthen that system. With my work, I aim to provide insights that support a more responsive and citizen-centred local government, one where people feel heard and satisfied with public policies and services.
What do you hope to achieve in your academic career?
I want to continue researching themes related to local politics. Citizen participation and local democracy remain my main interests, but I’m also very interested in scale-related questions, how different levels of government collaborate and interact.
What is the first thing you do when you have unexpected free time in your agenda?
I head outside for a walk or a run. Spending a lot of time behind a desk makes you appreciate how refreshing it is to get some fresh air and move around.