Jana Javornik, PhD

I am an interdisciplinary scholar and policy adviser/maker with international experience spanning academia, government, and the non-profit sector. My research focuses on comparative welfare states, social policy, labour market inequalities, EDI, social sustainability, AI ethics, and research impact.

Having lived and worked across Europe, Asia, and North America, I bring a global perspective to bridging research and policy. A long-time advocate of evidence-based decision-making, I am committed to improving how knowledge is communicated and mobilised for the public good. I believe in the enduring power of intellectual collaboration to address shared global challenges and reaffirm our common humanity.

As the need for collective and collaborative solutions to living well together grows ever more urgent, I draw on disciplines such as history that offer a longer view of human adaptation and resilience. My work explores how societies adapt to change and how lessons from the past—both successes and failures—can inform more just and sustainable futures. At INZ, I hope to connect with colleagues who believe that thoughtful, rigorous, collaborative, and responsible intellectual work remains vital to the common good.

EDUCATION

PhD
University of Southampton, Comparative Social Policy (awarded Sept 2010, passed without corrections).
Thesis: Maternal employment in post-socialist countries. Understanding the Implications of Childcare Policies. Supervisors: Profs T Meyer and S Roth. Examiners: Profs J Falkingham and S Leitner
MPhil
Uni. Ljubljana, Comparative Social Policy & Sociology – joint programme: National Uni. Ireland, Uni. Roskilde, Uni. Pavia, and Uni. Ljubljana
BA/MA
Uni. Ljubljana, Sociology

EXTERNAL ROLES (currently)

Member UNESCO’s Women4Ethical AI; EDI/AI Ethics Adviser, SMASH (Machine Learning/AI for Science and Humanities); Academy of Science for Sustainable Development of Slovenia

PREVIOUS WORK EXPERIENCE

A/Professor, Work and Employment Relations and Faculty Research Impact and Engagement Panel, Policy Impact, Leeds University Business School, University of Leeds, UK
Director-General of Higher Education Directorate, Government of the Republic of Slovenia, Ministry of Education and Science, Slovenia
Associate Professor, Comparative Social and Public Policy, Cass School of Education and Communities & School of Social Sciences, University of East London, UK
Director, Noon Centre for Equality and Diversity in Business, University of East London
Work, Care and Global Transitions Research Fellow | Building Sustainable Societies Transformation Programme, School of Sociology and Social Policy, University of Leeds, UK
Welfare Studies Research Fellow, Sociology Department, Umeå University, Sweden
Senior Policy Adviser, Institute of Macroeconomic Analyses & Development, Government of Slovenia
Detached National Expert, European Commission, DG Employment, Social Affairs and Equal Opportunities, Unit for Social and Demographic Analyses, Brussels, Belgium
Project Manager, Stability Pact Gender Task Force, OSCE, Hungary / Bosnia
CEE Network for Gender Equality, CEE

Research Fellowships and Affiliations

Institute of Contemporary History, Slovenia
Center for Effective Organizations, Marshall School of Business, University of Southern California, USA
Utrecht University, NL
Swedish Institute for Social Research (SOFI), University of Stockholm, Sweden
Centre for Social Psychology, Faculty of Social Sciences, U. Ljubljana, Slovenia
Centre for Employment Relations, Innovation and Change, U. Leeds, UK
Central European Labour Studies Institute, Slovakia
Centre for International Research on Care, Labour and Equalities, U. Sheffield
Human Ecology, U. Alberta, Canada
University of Iceland, Iceland
Umeå University, Sweden
Work Futures Research Centre, U. Southampton, UK

Indicators of Esteem / EXTERNAL RECOGNITION

Positions in strategic advisory bodies / influencing public policy

2024-present Expert Adviser, Ministry of Digital Transformation of the Republic of Slovenia. Member of Strategic Advisory Board on the transposition of AI Directive
2024-present Long Covid Expert Group, Slovenia
2023-present Expert Adviser, Ministry of Labour, Family, Social Affairs, and Equal Opportunities, Slovenia
2022-present Expert Adviser to the Slovene Minister for Economic Development and Technology, Strategic Advisory Board
2022-present National Institute for Public Health Advisory Board and Expert Groups Member, Slovenia
2022-present International Advisory Board to the Rector, University of Ljubljana, Slovenia
2021-2022 Expert Group, Sexual Violence and Harassment in HE and R&I, Slovenia
2020-present COVID19 Tracker
2019-present Business in the Community – Prince’s Responsible Business Network (ESRC IAA Fellow)
2019-2020 West Yorkshire Combined Authority (Inclusive Growth Strategy)
2019-2020 Department for Work and Pensions (Diversity and Inclusion)
2019-2020 Nationwide Building Society (Policy)
2019-2021 NHS England (Diversity and Inclusion, People and Organisation Development)
2019-present Policy Review Equality and Diversity Advisory Panel (Expert)
2018-2020 Greater London Authority
2018-present The Equality Hub (Advisory Board)
2018-2020 Barking and Dagenham Equalities Sub-Group (Advisory Board)
2018-2020 Good Business (Sustainable and inclusive workplaces)
2018-2020 Jericho Chambers
2018-2020 European Institute and Institutional Investor
2017-2020 UK Cabinet Office: Government Equalities Office (WAGE Programme and Work-Family Policy); Race Disparity Unit (Expert)
2017-2020 Equality and Human Rights Commission, UK (Expert)
2015-2018 The Economist Intelligence Unit: Work-family policies across the world
2015-2019 EPRD Office for Economic Policy and Regional Development (Expert)
2014-2020 Scottish Government: Children and Families Unit and Scottish Childcare Commission and Childcare Alliance (Expert)
2004-2018 United Nations Development Programme (Human Development & Capability Expert)
2000-2006 Human Rights Ombudsman, Slovenia (Expert)
1998-2018 CEE Network for Gender Equality (Chair of the Steering Committee of the Regional Office of the European Network for Equal Opportunities)
1998-2011 Stability Pact Gender Task Force and East-West Women (Advisory Board)
1998-present World Bank: Distance Learning Dialogue Series: Implementing Gender Equality Legislation in Central Asia (Expert)
2000-2008 International Labour Organisation: Employment promotion policies for older workers in the EU accession countries, the Russian Federation and Ukraine (National Expert)
2000-present Women’s Lobby Slovenia: Gender Parity and Gender Pay Gap (Board Member)

Academic Citizenship

Scientific Committees:
- Transforming Care Network (2018-)
Editorial Boards:
- Work, Employment & Society (2019-2024)
- Journal Družboslovne razprave (Journal of Slovenian Sociological Association;
- International Journal of Care and Caring
Associate Editor:
- Journal of Family Studies (2015-2020)
Guest Editor:
- Policy & Politics (with I. Naumann, Edinburgh)
- Journal of Comparative Policy Analysis (with R. Ciccia, Oxford)
Reviewer:
- European Sociological Review; Social Forces; J. of European Social Policy; Gender, Work & Organisation; WES; Social Politics; J. of Family Issues; J. of Marriage and Family; J. of Social Policy; Policy & Politics; Social Policy and Administration; Community, Work and Family; Asian Women; Croatian Journal of Social Policy; J. Gender, rovné příležitosti (Czech)
Book Reviews:
- Stanford University Press; Policy Press; Routledge
Grants:
- Horizon2020 – Marie Curie
- FP7-people-COFUND peer review college 2013-2018
- Horizon2020 – IF-2019
- ARIS (Slovenian Research Agency)

PUBLIC UNDERSTANDING OF SCIENCE & RESEARCH FEATURED IN MEDIA (upon request)

Podcast Series: The Business of Policy Making (all platforms) | PODSHEET
Columnist, Večer (2022-present)
The Conversation UK
Featured in: BBC (Radio and TV), Bloomberg, The Business Times, The Economist, Financial Times (paper and podcast series), Management Today, The Sunday Times, The Independent, Guardian, Daily Telegraph, Newham Recorder, Forbes, Dnevnik, Delo, POPtv, RTV SLO, TNT, Victoria Derbyshire Show, QUARTZ

***

LIST OF PUBLICATIONS (available upon request)

https://orcid.org/0000-0002-6103-1359

BOOKS AND EDITED SPECIAL ISSUES

Central-Local Tensions in European Welfare Systems Policy & Politics, Thematic Issue.
Capabilities and Social Policy: Insights into concepts, measurements and application, Chicago University Press.
Capabilities and Social Policy: Insights into concepts, measurements and application, Policy Press.
Methodological challenges for comparative welfare state research: capturing intra-country variation in cross-national analyses, Special Issue Journal of Comparative Social Policy.
ATHENA Research Book, Volume 1 | book DOI: 10.18690/um.3.2022 ISBN: 978-961-286-658-7
ATHENA Research Book, Volume 2 DOI: 10.18690/um.4.2023 ISBN: 978-961-286-783-6
Social Overview – Slovenia 2006. IMAD: Ljubljana
Social Situation in the European Union 2005-2006. Brussels: European Commission and Eurostat
Social Situation in the European Union 2004. European Commission and Eurostat, Brussels.
Socialni razgledi 2006. UMAR: Ljubljana
Human Development Report- Slovenia 2002/2003. IMAD, UNDP
(Do) Kdaj (ne)enake možnosti spolov? Introduction to A. Sen: Ekonomija blaginje: izbrane razprave (Economics of Welfare: selected essays). *cf.: Ljubljana, p. 231-243.
Human Development Report-Slovenia 1999. Ljubljana: IMAD/UNDP.
Human Development Report-Slovenia 1998. Ljubljana: IMAD/UNDP.

ARTICLES

Balancing health and socioeconomic impacts: A uniform framework for evaluating non-pharmaceutical interventions PLOS One. DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0324232
Optimizing Non-Pharmaceutical Intervention Strategies Against COVID-19 Using Artificial Intelligence, Frontiers.
Optimizing Non-Pharmaceutical Intervention Strategies Against COVID-19 Using Artificial Intelligence. DOI: 10.21203/rs.3.rs-1047502/v1
Is this the year when women and men will finally be paid the same? Online resource
Resources for whom? Conceptualizing and comparing childcare policy design for parents of children with additional or complex care needs Journal of International and Comparative Social Policy DOI: 10.1017/ics.2024.15
Resources for whom? Conceptualizing and comparing childcare policy design for parents of children with additional or complex care needs – CORRIGENDUM Journal of International and Comparative Social Policy. DOI: 10.1017/ics.2024.17
Potential for Social Innovation in Social Work: Applying the Capability Approach book-chapter Part of ISBN: 9781447369325
There are more than 300 ways to work flexibly – here are four tips to make it work for you| online-resource
Resources for whom? Conceptualizing and comparing childcare policy design for parents of children with complex care needs DOI: 10.31235/osf.io/s3fmn
Flexible work arrangements for work-life balance: A cross-national policy evaluation from a capabilities perspective International Journal of Sociology and Social Policy, The DOI: 10.1108/IJSSP-03-2023-0077 ISSN: 0144-333X
The gendered effects of UK childcare policies| online-resource
Central-local tensions in the decentralization of social policies: street-level bureaucrats and social practices in the Netherlands and United Kingdom,’ Social Policy & Administration, 55(7): 1262-75.
Where’s the Community in Community, Work and Family? A capabilities framework Community, Work and Family, 23(5): 516-33.
Methodological challenges for comparative welfare state research: capturing intra-country variation in cross-national analyses Journal of Comparative Policy Analysis, 21(1): 1-8.
Creating capabilities: Childcare policies in comparative perspective. Journal of European Social Policy, 29(4):529-544.
Work and Care Opportunities under Different Parental Leave Systems: Gender and Class Inequalities in Northern Europe,’ Social Policy and Administration, 51(4): 617-637, DOI: 10.1111/spol.12316: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/spol.12316/full
Optimizing non-pharmaceutical intervention strategies against COVID-19 using artificial intelligence Frontiers in Public Health| journal-article DOI: 10.3389/fpubh.2023.1073581 ISSN: 2296-2565
CEY1476 – Support for childcare and the early years| report
Central-local tensions in the decentralization of social policies: Street-level bureaucrats and social practices in the Netherlands Social Policy and Administration | journal-article DOI: 10.1111/spol.12722 ISSN: 0144-5596
Where’s the Community in Community, Work and Family? A Community-based Capabilities Approach Community, Work & Family | journal-article DOI: 10.1080/13668803.2020.1818547 ISSN: 1366-8803
Eastern Europe| book-chapter DOI: 10.4337/9781788113526.00020 ISBN: 9781788113526
Conceptualizing National Family Policies: A Capabilities Approach | book-chapter DOI: 10.1007/978-3-030-54618-2_7 ISBN: 9783030546175
Creating capabilities: Childcare policies in comparative perspective Journal of European Social Policy | journal-article DOI: 10.1177/0958928718808421 ISSN: 0958-9287
Moving from diversity initiatives to a culture of inclusion| online-resource
Ask rather than assume: the CA in the practitioner setting | book-chapter ISBN: 9781447341789
Comparative social policy analysis of parental leave policies through the lenses of capability approach| book-chapter ISBN: 9781447341789
Converting shared parental leave into shared parenting: the role of employers and use of litigation by employees in the UK | book-chapter ISBN: 9781447341789
From Capability Approach to Capability-based Social Policy| book-chapter ISBN: 9781447341789
Rethinking social policy from a capability perspective| book-chapter ISBN: 9781447341789
Social Policy and the Capability Approach: Concepts, Measurements and Application| book ISBN: 978-1447341789
The gender pay gap highlights broader inequalities at play | online-resource
Methodological Challenges for Comparative Welfare State Research: Capturing Intra-Country Variation in Cross-National Analyses Journal of Comparative Policy Analysis| journal-article DOI: 10.1080/13876988.2018.1551598 ISSN: 1387-6988
Care in the wake of the financial crisis: gender implications in Spain and the United Kingdom | book-chapter DOI: 10.4337/9781786432117.00017 ISBN: 9781786432100
Public policy conceptions: Priorities of social service provision in Europe| book-chapter
Work and Care Opportunities under Different Parental Leave Systems: Gender and Class Inequalities in Northern Europe Social Policy and Administration| journal-article DOI: 10.1111/spol.12316 ISSN: 0144-5596
Slovenia| book-chapter DOI: 10.4324/9781315657400
A childcare system fit for the future?| other
A childcare system fit for the future? In: Foster, L., Brunton, A., Deeming, C. and T. Haux (Eds): In Defence of Welfare 2, Bristol: Policy Press, Social Policy Association, p. 75-8. http://goo.gl/WOYGEB
Measuring state de-familialism: Contesting post-socialist exceptionalism,’ Journal of European Social Policy, 24(3): 240-257. Most cited JESP article in 2015 and 2016.
Maternal Employment in Postsocialist Countries: Understanding the Implications of Childcare Policies| book-chapter
Why UK should follow Nordics’ lead on universal childcare| online-resource
Employers aren’t ready for shared parental leave | online-resource
Shared parental leave is a nice idea – but will it actually work? | online-resource
Comparative Childcare Policy Analysis Revisited: Examples of Central and Eastern Europe Journal of European Social Policy DOI: 10.1177/0958928714525815
L’adieu au modèle de l’homme soutien de famille. Le présent post-socialiste à la lumière du passé socialiste. Politiques sociales et familiales | journal-article DOI: 10.3406/caf.2014.2963 ISSN: 2101-8081
Great expectations: dual-earner policies and the management of work–family conflict – the examples of Sweden and Slovenia Families, Relationships and Societies| journal-article DOI: 10.1332/204674313X13796044783891 ISSN: 2046-7435
State socialism: Dismantling the male-breadwinner family model in Central and Eastern Europe? Umeå University Welfare Studies Working Paper 14/2012.
Work-family policies in leading countries, Background Analysis for The Economist (Group for Europe, Africa and the Middle East)
EXPLORING MATERNAL EMPLOYMENT IN POST-SOCIALIST COUNTRIES. Understanding the Implications of Childcare Policies| dissertation-thesis
OLAP for health statistics: how to turn a simple spreadsheet into a powerful analytical tool, 2007-05-01 | SORS, Statistical Society of the Republic of Slovenia: Ljubljana. pp. 476-481.
Premature Mortality in Slovenia in Relation to Selected Biological, Socioeconomic, and Geographical Determinants Croatian Medical Journal 2006 | journal-article ISSN: 0353-9504
A framework for estimating the socio-economic impacts of non-pharmaceutical interventions against COVID-19 Research Square DOI: 10.21203/rs.3.rs-2005332/v1
Conceptualizing National Family Policies: A Capabilities Approach book-chapter DOI: 10.1007/978-3-030-54618-2 ISBN: 978-3-030-54617-5
Maternal Employment and the State: Varieties of Familialism in Post-Socialist Countries other
Do (EU) Policies Matter? Distance Learning Dialogue Series No, World Bank and UNDP: Economic Empowerment through Gender-responsive Labour Legislation.
Paternal leave from 2005 Eironline: European Industrial Relations Observatory
Gender Equality Legislation Examined Eironline: European Industrial Relations Observatory
Discrimination against women highlighted Eironline: European Industrial Relations Observatory
Gender as a determinant of social status – towards an androgynous society? IB – International Review, XXXVIII(3).
Perceptions of Living Conditions in an Enlarged Europe IB – International Review, XXXVIII(3).
Part-Time Work in Focus Eironline: European Industrial Relations Observatory
Ženske na trgih dela post-socialističnih držav,’ Radio Slovenia, Trojna spirala.
Avantura desetletja ali kako v postsocialističnih državah preživeti kot ženska? Radio Slovenia, Trojna spirala.
Tranzicija in (ne)enakost med spoloma,’ Družboslovne razprave, 34-35: 167-187 (Slovenian Sociological Association).
Elementi zastopanosti žensk v javni sferi (Selected Parameters of Women‘s Participation in the Public Sphere),’ IB-International Review, 1: 44-52.

BOOK CHAPTERS

Javornik, J. and M.A. Yerkes (2020). ‘Conceptualising National Family Policies: A Capabilities Approach,’. In: R. Nieuwenhuis and W. Van Lancker (Eds), Palgrave Handbook of Family Policy, Palgrave, pp. 141-67.
Javornik, J. (2020). ‘Welfare State Change in Eastern Europe,’ In: N. Ellison and T. Haux (Eds), Handbook on Society and Social Policy, Edward Elgar.
Javornik J. 2020. Eastern Europe. In: Elliot N; Haux T (eds.) Handbook on Society and Social Policy. Edward Elgar Publishing.
Javornik J, Yerkes MA. 2020. Conceptualizing National Family Policies: A Capabilities Approach. In: Nieuwenhuis R; Van Lancker W (eds.) The Palgrave Handbook of Family Policy. Palgrave MacMillan, pp. 141-167.
Javornik J, Yerkes MA, Jansen E. 2019. Ask rather than assume: the CA in the practitioner setting. In: Yerkes MA; Javornik J; Kurowska A (eds.) Social Policy and the Capability Approach: Concepts, Measurements and Application. Bristol, UK: Policy Press, pp. 107-124.
Javornik J, Oliver L. 2019. Converting shared parental leave into shared parenting: the role of employers and use of litigation by employees in the UK. In: Yerkes MA; Javornik J; Kurowska A (eds.) Social Policy and the Capability Approach: Concepts, Measurements and Application. Bristol, UK: Policy Press, pp. 61-82.
Yerkes MA, Javornik J, Jansen E, Kurowska A. 2019. From Capability Approach to Capability-based Social Policy. In: Yerkes MA; Javornik J; Kurowska A (eds.) Social Policy and the Capability Approach: Concepts, Measurements and Application. Bristol, UK: Policy Press, pp. 147-156.
Kurowska A, Javornik J. 2019. Comparative social policy analysis of parental leave policies through the lenses of capability approach. In: Yerkes MA; Javornik J; Kurowska A (eds.) Social Policy and the Capability Approach: Concepts, Measurements and Application. Bristol, UK: Policy Press, pp. 83-106.
Yerkes MA, Javornik J, Kurowska A. 2019. Rethinking social policy from a capability perspective. In: Yerkes MA; Javornik J; Kurowska A (eds.) Social Policy and the Capability Approach: Concepts, Measurements and Application. Bristol, UK: Policy Press, pp. 1-18.
Javornik J, Yerkes MA, Jansen E. 2019. Ask rather than assume: The capability approach in the practitioner setting. In: Social Policy and the Capability Approach: Concepts, Measurements and Application, pp. 107-124
Mätzke M, Anttonen A, Brokking P, Javornik J. 2017. Public policy conceptions: Priorities of social service provision in Europe. In: Social Services Disrupted: Changes, Challenges and Policy Implications for Europe in Times of Austerity, pp. 71-91
Deusdad, B., Javornik, J., Mas Giralt, R., Marban Flores, R. (2017) ’Care in the wake of the financial crisis. Gender implications in Spain and the United Kingdom,’ In: F. Martinelli, Anntonen, A., Mätzke, M., (Eds.). Social Services disrupted. Changes, Challenges and Policy Implications for Europe in Times of Austerity, Edward Elgar Publishing, p.176-197.
Javornik, J. (2016) ‘Slovenia,’ In: G. Razzu (Ed.). Gender Inequality in the Eastern European Labour Market: Twenty-five years of transition since the fall of communism. London: Routledge. pp. 242-368.
Javornik, J. 2016. ‘Maternal Employment in Postsocialist Countries: Understanding the Implications of Childcare Policies,’ In: Höfacker, D., Roosalu, T. (Eds). How Gender Works? Testing Established Theories in Post-Socialist Labour Markets, Basingstoke: Palgrave MacMillan, pp. 189-214.
Javornik, J., J. Ingold (2015) ‘A childcare system fit for the future?’ In: Foster, L., Brunton, A., Deeming, C. and T. Haux (Eds): In Defence of Welfare 2, Bristol: Policy Press, p. 75-8.
Javornik, J., Kersnik, M., Kuhar, M., Rener, T., Švab, A. (2007) ‘The Family and Its New Forms’. In: Social Overview–Slovenija 2006. Ljubljana: UNDP, IMAD, p. 72-85.
Javornik, J., Kersnik, M., Kuhar, M., Rener, T., Švab, A. (2007) ‘Družina in njene nove podobe’. In: Socialni razgledi – Slovenija 2006. Ljubljana: UNDP, IMAD, p. 72-85 (in Slovenian).
Javornik, J., Rebolj, M., Malnar, B. (2004) ‘Socio-economic Determinants of Health.’ In: Javornik, J., Korošec, V. (Eds.). Human Development Report – Slovenia 2002/2003. NY, Ljubljana: UNDP, IMAD, p. 38-43.
Javornik, J. (2002) ‘Integration of Women in the Labour Market. Do Policies Matter? A Case of Slovenia.’ In Dokmanović, M. (Ed.): Transition, Privatisation and Women. Women’s Centre for Democracy and Human Rights, Belgrade: SGS Background.
Javornik, J., Hanžek, M., Gregorčič, M. (2000) ‘Social Welfare.’ In Petrin, T., Sicherl, P., Kukar, S., Mešl, M. and R. Vitez (Eds). Benchmarking Slovenia. An Evaluation of Slovenia’s competitiveness, strengths and weaknesses. Ljubljana: Ministry of Economic Affairs.

DATASETS

International Reproduction Policy Database (IRPD) (Version 1.0.0) [Data set]. WZB – Berlin Social Science Center. https://doi.org/10.7802/2623 (SLOVENIA)

RESEARCH AND POLICY REPORTS

Gender Initiatives: Case studies of organisational interventions to improve women’s position in the workplace. Report commissioned by UK Commission for Employment and Skills. https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/5a815349ed915d74e33fd95d/UKCES_Gender_Effects.pdf
Work-family policies in leading countries, Background Analysis for The Economist Intelligence Unit (Group for Europe, Africa and the Middle East).
Do (EU) Policies Matter?’ Distance Learning Dialogue Series No, World Bank and UNDP: Economic Empowerment through Gender-responsive Labour Legislation.
Gender Mainstreaming in the Public Employment Service. Statement and Comments – Slovenia. Report prepared for European Commission, Peer Review: Gender Mainstreaming in the Public Employment Service, Denmark
Economic Empowerment through Gender-Responsive Legislation. Working with Gender – A Decade of Transition in FSU Countries. Stockholm: The World Bank, SIDA.
National Report – Slovenia. In: Fortuny, M., Nesporova, A., Popova, N. (eds): Employment promotion policies for older workers in the EU accession countries, the Russian Federation and Ukraine. ILO.

CONFERENCE PAPERS (upon request)