Mark van Dijk

Mark van Dijk serves as Professor and Lecturer-Researcher at Inholland University of Applied Sciences, leading the Empowerment & Professionalization Social Domain research group. His work bridges academic research and frontline youth services through collaborations with the Regional Youth Knowledge Center North Holland and municipal partners.

His research focuses on youth resilience and community empowerment, developing practical tools like the resilience chart and network-mapping card games. Key projects include the OJOV program studying youth transitions to adulthood and analyzing successful community models like Haarlem's Triple ThreaT organization that maintains youth engagement through passion-driven learning and role modeling.

Current research examines post-pandemic youth challenges, with publications addressing how coronavirus disrupted identity formation and social development. His implementation studies show that tools succeed when aligned with existing methodologies and supported by organizational structures.

His advising emphasizes practice-oriented research with direct societal impact, developing methodologies for youth workers to strengthen support systems. Collaborations include RAAK-Pro-funded projects with the Innovation Alliance Foundation and regional youth knowledge centers.

The Empowerment & Professionalization Social Domain research group operates within Inholland's Social Work department, focusing on translating research into actionable youth work strategies through co-creation with practitioners and young people.