Annamaria Colombo

Annamaria Colombo is a full Professor at the Haute école de travail social Fribourg, part of the Haute école spécialisée de Suisse occidentale (HES-SO). Her academic work focuses on qualitative research, participatory action research, and research management and valorization. She has established herself as a leading researcher in several key areas of social work and sociology.

Her primary research interests include youth culture and urban sociology, with particular emphasis on how young people appropriate urban spaces both physically and digitally. She has conducted extensive research on sexual transactions among Swiss youth, foster care systems, homelessness, and public space management. Her work often takes a participatory approach, collaborating with practitioners and community members to address social issues.

Dr. Colombo's research portfolio demonstrates significant continuity in examining social inclusion, marginalization, and recognition processes. Her current projects include a comparative study of foster care structures across Swiss cantons (2021-2023) and a Swiss National Science Foundation-funded project on urban youth cultures and recognition in Swiss cities (2021-2025). These ongoing projects build upon her extensive body of work examining similar themes in previous research.

• Principal Investigator for 'Appropriation des espaces urbains par les jeunes en Suisse' (2021-2025, CHF 484,000)
• Co-applicant for 'Foster children - next generation' (2021-2023, CHF 400,000)
• Principal Investigator for 'Sexe, relations... et toi?' (2016-2018, CHF 350,000)
• Principal Investigator for 'La parentalité en situation de toxicodépendance' (2013-2016, CHF 20,000)

Dr. Colombo has made significant contributions to understanding how marginalized populations navigate social systems, with particular focus on youth experiences. Her work bridges academic research with practical social work applications, frequently involving interdisciplinary collaborations across Swiss institutions and with international partners.