Prof. Michalis Kontopodis
- Position: Chair in Global Childhood and Youth Studies
- Areas of expertise: childhood & youth futures; youth poverty & marginalisation; digital transformation, global education & sustainable development
- Email: M.Kontopodis@leeds.ac.uk
- Phone: +44(0)113 343 6997
- Location: 1.07a Hillary Place
- Website: Global Childhood & Youth Futures | | Twitter | LinkedIn | Googlescholar | Researchgate | ORCID
Profile
Prof Michalis Kontopodis is a first-generation student, who grew up in Crete, has lived in a few different countries, speaks five languages and is a relatively recent immigrant to the UK. For reasons related to his own biography, he is committed to working on inclusion, diversity and global education. He is the Chair in Global Childhood and Youth Studies at the University of Leeds. His background comprises psychology, anthropology and education. He accomplished his PhD in 2007 at the Free University Berlin. Before moving to the University of Leeds in 2018, he held the following academic positions:
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2016-2018: Senior Lecturer, University of Sheffield, UK
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2014-2016: Senior Lecturer, Roehampton University London, UK
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2013-2014: Assistant Professor, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, Netherlands
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2011-2012: Post-Doc Researcher, University of Amsterdam, Netherlands
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2007-2010: Post-Doc Researcher, Humboldt University Berlin, Germany
His visiting scholarships & professorships include quite a few highly-ranked universities from around the globe, such as: City University of New York; Pontíficia Universidade Católica de São Paulo; Jawaharlal Nehru University; Moscow State University of Psychology & Education. Many of his openly accessible publications in English, German, Portuguese, French, Greek & Russian are available through his personal blog and webpage: https://mkontopodis.wordpress.com/
Responsibilities
- Member of Editorial Board: Current Anthropology; European Journal of Psychology & Education
- Founding Editor: Peter Lang Book Series: (Post-)Critical Global Childhood & Youth Studies
Research interests
Prof Kontopodis' scholarship is at the frontier of Global Childhood and Youth Studies with three foci: (a) addressing “from below” challenges related to global debt, poverty and marginalisation; (b) innovating pedagogies with digital technologies; (c) deciphering the multiple links between child health, ecology and technoscience. In collaboration with a wide network of academics, practitioners, NGOs, youth organisations and policy makers, Prof Kontopodis conducts research on inclusive and equitable quality education, digital transformation and globalisation from below. His books, edited volumes and journal articles have been published in a few different languages; for further details please visit https://mkontopodis.wordpress.com/
Recent projects include:
Makerspaces in the Early Years: Enhancing Digital Literacy & Creativity. EU Marie Curie RISE. (PI: Prof. Jackie Marsh, University of Sheffield, 2017-2019).
Imagens, Tecnologias e Infâncias/ Images, Technologies & Childhoods. Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico, Brazil. External Advisor/ Universidade Federal do Espírito Santo (2015-2017).
Semiótica da Cultura e da Mídia/ Semiotics of Culture & Media. Conselho Nacional de Desenvolvimento Científico e Tecnológico, Brazil. External Advisor/ Pontifícia Universidade Católica de São Paulo. (2014-2016)
PI: Global Perspectives on Learning & Development with Digital Video-Editing Media. EU Marie Curie IRSES/ RISE. In collaboration with: University of Crete; Free University Berlin; UCL Institute of Education; Pontíficia Universidade Católica de São Paulo; Jawaharlal Nehru University & Moscow State University (2012–2014).
Book publications include:
Kontopodis, M.; Varvantakis, C. & Wulf, C. (Eds) (2019). Global Youth in Digital Trajectories. London: Routledge.
Kontopodis, M.; Magalhães, M.C. & Coracini, M.J. (Eds) (2016). Facing Poverty and Marginalization: 50 Years of Critical Research in Brazil. Bern: Peter Lang.
Kontopodis, M. (2014). Neoliberalism, Pedagogy and Human Development: London and New York: Routledge.
Kontopodis, M.; Wulf, C. & Fichtner, B. (Eds) (2011). Children, Development and Education: Cultural, Historical, Anthropological Perspectives. Dordrecht & New York: Springer.
Kontopodis, M. & Niewöhner, J. (Eds) (2010). Das Selbst als Netzwerk: Zum Einsatz von Körpern und Dingen im Alltag (The Self as Network: On the Employment of Bodies and Things in the Everyday). Bielefeld: transcript.
Kontopodis, M. (Ed) (2009). Children, Culture & Emerging Educational Challenges: A Dialogue with Brazil. Berlin: Lehmanns Media.
Open access & overview of publications in English, German, Portuguese, French, Greek & Russian: https://mkontopodis.wordpress.com/
<h4>Research projects</h4> <p>Any research projects I'm currently working on will be listed below. Our list of all <a href="https://essl.leeds.ac.uk/dir/research-projects">research projects</a> allows you to view and search the full list of projects in the faculty.</p>Professional memberships
- International Society for Cultural-historical Activity Research (Former Secretary)
Student education
Prof Michalis Kontopodis contributes to a variety of courses in childhood and youth studies & education across BA, MA and PhD programmes. He welcomes potential PhD students interested in childhood and youth futures, digital technologies and/or global education to contact him directly as to discuss their ideas and research proposals (spoken languages: English, German, French, Greek, Portuguese & Spanish).
Research groups and institutes
- Centre for Digital Learning
- ICY: Inclusion, Childhood & Youth Research Centre
- Centre for Global Development
- Leeds Social Science Institute