Undergraduate and postgraduate education and work experience
Education and training
- 08/2021 – 06/2022 CAS in Leadership and Governance at Universities, University of Zurich
- 10/2007 – 01/2011: Doctorate in Sociology with successful defence on 07.01.2011 (summa cum laude), Freie Universität Berlin
- Thesis title: «Social organisations and their mistakes. Discourse, concepts, research» (first assessor: Prof. Dr. Reinhart Wolff, second assessor: Prof. Dr. Bruno Hildenbrand)
- 10/2008 – 03/2009: MA in Sociology «Sociology – European Societies», modules on sociological theories of societal change, and integration and methods of comparative social research.
- 10/2002 – 07/2006: Diploma in Social Education/Social Work (FH), Alice Salomon Hochschule Berlin
- 10/2005 – 03/2007: Training as a specialist for dialogue coaching and conflict management (Kronberger Kreis für Dialogische Qualitätsentwicklung e.V.)
- 09/2007 – 11/2008: Training as a Case Manager (DGCC)
Career milestones
- Since 08/2021: Co-Leader of the Institute for Studies in Children and Youth Services, FHNW School of Social Work
- 01/2018 – 12/2025: External member of the adjudication chamber of the Basel-Stadt child and adult protection authority, Canton of Basel-Stadt
- 11/2011 – 07/2021: Professor for child and youth welfare with a focus on child protection, Institute for Studies in Children and Youth Services, FHNW School of Social Work
- 09/2009 – 07/2011: Research associate in the project «Learning from mistakes - quality management in child protection», Alice Salomon Hochschule Berlin
- 10/2007 – 07/2011: Lecturer for the modules «Theory-Practice-Processing Child and Youth Welfare» and «Methods in the Pedagogical Field: Social Space Orientation / Network Work» of the bachelor’s degree course Social Work and Education in Childhood, Alice Salomon Hochschule Berlin
- 05/2008 – 04/2009: Doctoral scholar of the Heinrich Böll Foundation
- 01/2007 – 04/2008: Director/deputy director of a recognised independent provider of child and youth welfare services in the Federal Province of Brandenburg, Jugendwerkstatt Hönow e.V.
- 09/2006 – 12/2006: Socio-pedagogical support of a youth group (UJZ Karlshorst) to develop an independent youth centre in the neighbourhood of Karlshorst in Berlin, Potpourri Karlshorster Kiezladen e.V.
Main focus
Research and development / services
- Quality development in child protection
- Research on mistakes in child protection
- Procedures, methods and instruments to assess and clarify the best interests of the child
- Analysis of problematic and successful child protection cases
- Dialogic-systemic case work in child protection
- Technical supervision in child and youth welfare services
- Methods of qualitative social research
Teaching
- Lecturer BA 251: Child and youth welfare I, elective compulsory course child protection, Bachelor of Arts in Social Work
- Co-module leader MA02 International Social Work, Master of Arts in Social Work with a focus on Social Innovation and Social Policy
- Coach BA01 Portfolio Process, Freeform Bachelor of Arts in Social Work
- Lecturer Masters program «Child Protection. Dialogic Quality Development in Early Intervention and Child Protection», Module 2.5: Quality Assurance and Risk Management / Learning from Mistakes and Successes, Alice Salomon University of Applied Sciences Berlin
Continuing education
- CAS Dialogical-Systemic Child Protection Work, program director
Further information
Memberships, review & commission activities
- Head of Delegation Switzerland in the «Internationale Arbeitsgemeinschaft für Jugendfragen», IAGJ (International Working Group for Youth Issues), with Cornelia Rumo Wettstein (CEO YOUVITA, Bern)
- Member of the management team and lead panel of the Innovation Booster «Co-Designing Human Services»
- Founding Member and former (Co-)President of the «Interessengemeinschaft für Qualität im Kindesschutz» (Interest Group for Quality in Child Protection), now a board member
- Member of the Solidarity Research Network (SRN)
- Member of the Kronberger Kreis für Dialogical Quality Development e.V. (Kronberg Circle for Dialogical Quality Development)
- Member of the German Association for Care and Case Management e.V.
- Member of the International Society for Educational Assistance e.V.
- Expert Federal «Gesundheitsblatt»
- Expert for «Child Abuse & Neglect»
- Expert for «Journal für Empirie und Theorie Sozialer Arbeit»
- Expert for «Sociology and Anthropology»
- Expert Swiss National Science Foundation (SNSF)
- Expert German Research Foundation