Ciobanu Ruxandra Oana

Ciobanu Ruxandra Oana is an Ordinary Professor at the School of Social Work and Health of Lausanne (HETSL), part of the University of Applied Sciences and Arts Western Switzerland (HES-SO). She is a core researcher at the LIVES Centre of Competence for Research on Life Course and Vulnerabilities, where she leads multiple projects examining aging, migration, and social inclusion.

Her academic credentials include:

• Doctorate in Sociology from Osnabrück University, Germany (2009)
• Master's in Sociology and Social Anthropology from Central European University, Budapest (2004)
• Bachelor's in Sociology from the University of Bucharest, Romania (2003)

Professor Ciobanu specializes in transnational aging research, investigating how older migrants maintain wellbeing through social networks across borders. Her work employs mixed-methods approaches to understand life course trajectories, with particular focus on vulnerability, loneliness, and social inclusion among elderly migrant populations. She has developed innovative frameworks examining how transnational connections influence life satisfaction during crises like the COVID-19 pandemic.

Analysis of her recent publications reveals a cohesive research program centered on comparative studies between migrant and native elderly populations across European contexts. Her work consistently demonstrates how social network configurations, mobility patterns, and transnational family ties shape wellbeing outcomes, while highlighting the unique challenges faced by aging migrants in host societies.

Professor Ciobanu actively supervises doctoral research, most notably co-directing Iuna Dones' thesis on happiness and wellbeing among older migrants. She leads a major Swiss National Science Foundation project on transnational aging strategies and serves on numerous thesis committees across European institutions including the University of Padova and University of Geneva.

She is a key member of several international research networks including the IMISCOE research group on older migrants (which she co-coordinates), the European Sociological Association's RN01 network on Ageing in Europe, and the LIVES Centre's research program. Her practical engagement includes membership in the 'Connect! - together less alone' initiative addressing elderly loneliness and the National Program against Loneliness.