Anne Harju

Anne Harju is an Associate Professor of Child and Youth Studies at Malmö University, affiliated with the Department of Childhood, Education and Society within the Faculty of Learning and Society. She holds a PhD in social work and has served in multiple capacities including researcher, teacher, and head of department.

Her research focuses on childhood studies and understanding children's everyday conditions, with particular emphasis on children and young people in vulnerable situations and childhood experiences in preschool and school settings. She also conducts significant research in urban studies with focus on children and young people in urban environments, connecting her work to broader migration and diversity issues.

Her recent publications reveal a strong thematic focus on educational equity in diverse settings, with particular attention to territorial dynamics in schools, Nordic early childhood education policies in relation to nationalist trends, and youth perspectives on educational disengagement. Her work consistently addresses the intersection of migration, urban diversity, and educational practices.

Anne Harju is actively involved in research environments including the Malmö Institute for Migration Studies (MIM) and the Center for Co-created Futures. She currently leads the research project Practicing Hope: Challenging Myths and Changing Narratives about Youth in Urban Superdiversity (YouHope), which examines how to reframe narratives about youth in diverse urban contexts.