Maria Bruselius-Jensen

Education:

Ph.d and MSc. Techn.Soc

Research interests 

I have more than 20 years of experience working with democracy and social change processes and more than 15 years of experience researching youth life. For the past 7 years, I have had a special focus on young people's civic engagement and their access to democratic participation in both formal and informal democracy.

My research also includes health promotion, sustainability, social communities, youth associations and young people's well-being in different contexts.

I am a committed researcher with a strong focus on collaboration practice and research-based development processes in order to make a sustainable difference for young people. Over the course of a year, I engage in dialogues with substantial groups of professionals and young people through professional presentations, networking, collaborative research, etc.

Recent and current projects

2024-2027 - Associated PI:
SYNCRONY: European research and development project focusing on promoting meaningful democratic participation among groups experiencing vulnerability and marginalization. The project aims to develop and test democratic processes that promote equal access to participation within schools and the local communities. (Link)(EU HORIZON)

2022-2025 - PI:
Pedagogical pathways to well-being in upper secondary education: A research and development project where the research group, in close collaboration with 14 upper secondary schools, develops and tests pedagogical methods to promote student well-being. (Link) (VELUX FONDEN)

2022-2025 - Associated PI:
From opportunity to action: A research project in collaboration with Norwegian Telemarkforskning. Focus is on researching what conditions children and young people's equal access to organized art and cultural activities.(Link) (BUFDIR, Norwegian Directorate for Children, Youth and Families)

2019-2023 - PI:
Can youth communities be hurtful? The research project revisit the concept of communities from a contemporary youth perspective and generate applicable knowledge about youth communities and their impact on young people's social well-being. (link) (Maryfonden)

2019-2021 - PI:
New Pathways to Democratic Youth Communities: how can underrepresented groups of young people can be included in democratically organized youth communities. Through a series of case studies of both associations and other democratic youth communities, the study examines how new forms of participation, activities and forms of organization can enable new groups of young people to find their way into democratically organized communities. (Link) (Tuborgfondet)

2017-2020 - PI:
When involving (vulnerable) children and young people makes a difference: what makes a difference for children and young people When they are involved in matters that concer them and how can involvement be performed in the most optimal way? Over a three-year period, the work with involving vulnerable children and young people in five specific development projects are monitored. (Link) (VELUX FONDEN)

Networks and positions of trust
I participate in a wide range of networks, expert groups, advisory boards, and committees. Including:

2024 - :
Member of the board of director of the Youth Island Foundation

2023 - :
Network Orange Together, Expert group for Roskilde Festival's social commitment (Link)

2016-2023:
The National Working Group, Danish Youth Council. Danish Committee in relation to The Strategic Youth Dialogue, EU Commission. (Link)

2017-2022:
Jury for the Danish Youth Council's Youth Municipality of the Year award. (Link)

2018-2019:
Advisory Board on the Danish Children’s Councils’ examination of young people’s leisure time. (Link)

2016-2018:
The Committee for Youth, under the auspices of the Ministry of Higher Education and Science. The committee reviews applications for youth exchanges that can be funded under ERASMUS+. (Link)