Bjørn Ribers

Research Interests

Bjørn Ribers is Associate Professor in the Department of Design, Media and Educational Science at University of Southern Denmark and Visiting Research Scholar at Bristol Leadership and Change Centre at Bristol Business School.

His research is focused on the significance of welfare professions in welfare societies, illuminating the phenomena of ethical pressure and moral distress through ethico-political and psycho-societal perspectives. He has published extensively on professional development, ethical perception, innovative learning and values-based leadership in research articles comprising Ethical transformations: developing ethical competencies for the social professions through action research in European Journal of Social Work Ethical Pressure and Moral Distress in Middle Leadership: Perspectives from Higher Education in Welfare Professions in Qualitative Studies  Education, collaboration and pedagogical phronesis: essential dimensions in professional learning and development in Professional Development in Education. Books and edited volumes published with Routledge include Professional Ethics in Welfare Work and Education: Nordic Perspectives (co-edited with Niels Warring) and Professionalisation of School Leadership: Theoretical and Analytical Perspectives (with Jakob Bøje, Lars Frode Frederiksen and Finn Wiedemann). 

At University of Southern Denmark, he is head of the focus area Profession, Ethics and Education under Center for Basic Education Research and affiliated with Center for Philosophy and Ethics of Health. He is member of The International Research Group for Psycho-Societal Analysis and a founding member of the Nordic Psychosocial Network. 

Serving as a research consultant for nearly two decades he has provided expert advice to higher education institutions, labour unions and organizations. His research has informed policy-making and the development of Codes of Professional Ethics for the welfare professions in Nordic countries.