Executive Board

CHAIR OF THE EXECUTIVE BOARD

Jenni Tikkanen is a University Lecturer at the Centre for Research on Lifelong Learning and Education (CELE) and the Department of Education of the University of Turku, Finland. Her work sits at the intersection of sociology of education, youth studies, life course research, policy studies, and international comparative education, with a particular focus on youth trajectories, educational and societal segregation, and the relationships between social change and social reproduction. Her current research examines how the individualisation of social inequalities, the privatisation of risks, and socio-spatial segregation shape young people’s life courses and biographies in conditions of uncertainty. She has been actively involved in several international research networks and projects, and has collaborated extensively with researchers across Europe on comparative analyses of lifelong learning policies and youth transitions.

 

VICE-CHAIR OF THE EXECUTIVE BOARD

Ruggero Cefalo is tenured Assistant Professor at the University of Firenze, Department of Political and Social Sciences and consultant expert for international EU agencies on Youth, School-to-work transitions, social and activation policies, territories and multilevel governance. He has served as investigator on large-scale international research projects with a comparative focus on youth, such as the Horizon EU projects Young_Adulllt, CLEAR and COHSMO on school-to-work transitions, lifelong learning, vocational training and active labour market policies provision. He served as principal investigator in the national-funded comparative projects PRO-YOUT and YOU-TURN on youth transitions in Italy, Austria, Bulgaria and EU regions. He has also served as expert for international consultancy and evaluations for the Council of Europe, the European Commission, the Erasmus+ Programme, evaluating projects on youth work, higher and vocational education, youth policies; performing and presenting research on youth employment in EU territories (countries, regions and cities). He has published in high profile scientific journals and publishers on youth labour market integration, spatial disparities, employment and education policies, adopting a mixed methods perspective to gain quantitative and qualitative research experience on youth.

 

DIRECTOR OF OPERATIONS

Hélder Ferraz is a researcher at the Centre for Research and Intervention in Education (CIIE), Faculty of Psychology and Education Sciences, University of Porto, Portugal. His work focuses on education policy, socio-educational inequalities, and youth transitions, with particular attention to the governance of educational trajectories and the role of education in shaping life courses. His research combines qualitative and quantitative approaches and is grounded in critical policy analysis, with a strong emphasis on the relationship between education, territory, and social justice.