As a post-doctoral researcher and team member of the Dynamics of Youth community Youth Education & Life Skills, I have a dual role at Utrecht University.

In my research, I aspire to combine insights from sociology, pedagogy and educational science, and take a participatory approach. I am fascinated by the way people collaborate, especially in diverse contexts where perspectives on various topics can be very different. In what way can we use the opportunities that different perspectives bring, and in what way can the challenges this brings best be dealt with (both at the individual and contextual level)? In the context of education, I study whether and how collaborative learning can be helpful in teaching youth the skills needed in a diverse society, such as perspective taking and conflict resolution. 

As a project team member of the Youth Education & Life Skills community, I am eager to contribute to inspiring and valuable education by facilitating (new) collaborations between researchers, professionals and youth on the topic of youth education and life skills.

I am also a member of the professional learning community Youth Participation in Research (initiated by the School for Participation) where researchers from various institutions exchange knowledge and experiences to ensure and improve the quality  of youth participation in research.