Sabine Andresen

The University of Tartu has conferred the degree of Honorary Doctor on Professor Sabine Andresen for her pioneering research in childhood studies and her long and fruitful collaboration with the University of Tartu social scientists in the study of child and family well-being.

Sabine Andresen was born on 16 February 1966 in Nordstrand, northern Germany. She holds a degree in teacher education from the Heidelberg University of Education and a doctorate in education from Heidelberg University. In 2003, she completed her habilitation in education at the University of Zürich, Faculty of Philosophy. After working in academic positions at the Heidelberg University of Education, Heidelberg University and the University of Zürich, she was invited to the post of professor of general educational science at Bielefeld University in 2004. In the years 2010–2011, she was also a vice rector of Bielefeld University. In 2011, she was elected the Professor of Social Pedagogy and Family Research at the Goethe University Frankfurt, where she became a Vice President in 2024.

Professor Andresen’s interdisciplinary research combines sociology, psychology, political science and educational sciences. Her research topics include historical and political perspectives on childhood and youth in the 20th century and empirical studies on children’s rights, well-being, and childhood vulnerability. A significant part of her research is on children and young people who are in vulnerable situations for various reasons. During the last decade, her research has focused on the sexual abuse of children and young people.

Professor Andresen has done internationally outstanding work in developing a theory and methodology of child well-being. Her research is characterised by innovation, broad scope and significant societal impact. Andresen’s work as a member of the board of the International Society for Child Indicators (ISCI) is especially noteworthy.

Sabine Andresen is a member of the Scientific Board of the IDeA Research Centre in Frankfurt and the German Academy of Sciences and Literature in Mainz. She is a visiting professor at the Kempe Centre of the University of Colorado and the Haruv Institute of the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. From 2016 to 2021, she chaired the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse in Germany, and since 2023, is the President of the Child Protection Association of Germany. Professor Andresen has received numerous awards for her high-level research and commitment to improving the welfare of children. In the autumn of 2023, she was awarded the German Cross of Merit, 1st class, for her scientific achievements and contribution to society.

Andresen has had a long-standing collaboration with the University of Tartu through the research team on child and family well-being of the Institute of Social Studies. Together, they are carrying out the global children’s subjective well-being survey, the ISCI-coordinated “Children’s Worlds”, in which Andresen is a member of the core team.