Thaïs Franken
Thaïs Franken is a lecturer and researcher in the Department of Public Administration and Organizational Science at the University of Aruba. She serves as Program Manager of the Master’s in Governance & Leadership and is affiliated as a research consultant with the Aruba Institute of Good Governance & Leadership (GG&L), an independent competence center dedicated to strengthening island governance through research, policy advisory, and capacity building.
Her work spans key areas of small-island governance, including civil society organizations, democracy, public value creation, culture, heritage, and creative sectors in development.
In 2023, she started her PhD research on public value governance in small island states, examining how civil society organizations in Aruba and Bonaire contribute to public value creation within the diverse and co-existing governance systems within the Kingdom of the Netherlands. The study focuses on care, social, and cultural organizations and combines comparative analysis with practice-oriented insights.
Beyond academia, Thaïs is actively engaged in the Aruban community as a policy advisor and board member of several socio-cultural organizations. Her work operates at the intersection of research, governance, and societal impact, with a focus on strengthening collaborative and context-sensitive approaches to public value creation.
Her work spans key areas of small-island governance, including civil society organizations, democracy, public value creation, culture, heritage, and creative sectors in development.
In 2023, she started her PhD research on public value governance in small island states, examining how civil society organizations in Aruba and Bonaire contribute to public value creation within the diverse and co-existing governance systems within the Kingdom of the Netherlands. The study focuses on care, social, and cultural organizations and combines comparative analysis with practice-oriented insights.
Beyond academia, Thaïs is actively engaged in the Aruban community as a policy advisor and board member of several socio-cultural organizations. Her work operates at the intersection of research, governance, and societal impact, with a focus on strengthening collaborative and context-sensitive approaches to public value creation.