Description of research and teaching

PhD. Tobias Pötzsch works as a University lecturer in social work and post-doctoral researcher at Helsinki University’s Swedish School of Social Science. My doctoral dissertation; Critical Perspectives on Social inclusion in Integration Education Programs for Adult Migrants (2020) explored inclusion strategies through the lenses of anti-oppressive practices, critical whiteness studies and critical migration studies in Finland and Canada. In Finland, the focus was on the implementation of Swedish-language integration programs.

I was born in East Germany, grew up in Canada, and have since 1997 been living in Finland, where I integrated myself in Swedish I have obtained a doctoral degree (PhD.) in Social Sciences (Social Work) from the University of Helsinki and degrees in Social Work (M.Sc.) at Gothenburg University, in Sweden and Education (B.Ed.) from the University of Alberta, Canada. I am currently employed as a University lecturer in Social Work have during the Spring of 2020 been working as post-doctoral researcher in the SIMA (Seamless Inclusion of Migrants in Working life) project at the Swedish School of Social Science. I have previously been employed as Program Coordinator and Senior lecturer responsible for curriculum development in the International Degree Program in Social Services at Laurea University of Applied Sciences from 2000-2014. In 2015, I commenced my PhD studies in social work at the University of Helsinki at the Swedish School of Social Science (SOCKOM) and was recruited to work as a researcher at CEREN, the Centre for Research on Ethnic Relations and Nationalism. My areas of expertise include social work theory and ethics, multicultural/anti-oppressive/anti-racist social work, multicultural client counseling and qualitative research methods.