Episode 1| S3: A conversation on social work, migration and international education
Tobias Pötzsch, Ph.D, works as a lecturer in Social Work at the University of Helsinki’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 also 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.
Internationally, I have worked in various EU Erasmus, EU Leonardo, and EU Tempus/Tacis projects that engaged students, teachers and researchers from a variety of disciplines. The projects centered on topics of youth marginalization (Yari) as well as curriculum development initiatives with Donetsk State University in the Ukraine. Furthermore, it has been my privilege to hold guest lectures, courses and keynotes at several international universities (e.g. Georg-August University, Göttingen, the University of Gothenburg, University of Arizona, USA., VIA University College, Århus, Hogeschool Ghent & Bradford College, a. o.). As my own personal background and history are characterized by cultural and linguistic diversity and multi-nationality, international perspectives have always resonated deeply within me and distinctly shaped my vision of social work.
