Francisco Pons

Francisco Pons is a Professor of Developmental Psychology and Head of the Health, Developmental and Personality Section at the Department of Psychology, University of Oslo. His work focuses on emotional competence, metacognition, and cognitive development in children, spanning both typical and non-typical populations (e.g., ASD, learning difficulties, abused children) across Western and Non-Western cultures. He has held academic positions at institutions in Switzerland, Denmark, the UK, and the US, and has authored over 125 peer-reviewed publications. His research integrates developmental theories with educational practices, emphasizing cross-cultural perspectives.

Education: Ph.D. (1997) in Psychology from the University of Geneva. Notable positions include Professorships at the University of Oslo (2007–present), Aalborg University (2004–2007), and Harvard University as a Post-Doctoral Fellow (2002–2003).

Research Interests: Four primary areas—Emotional Development, Metacognitive Development, Cognitive Development, and Integration with Educational Practices. His work examines these topics in diverse cultural contexts, including Latin, Slavic, Germanic, Quechua, Han, Fon, Arabic, and Muslim societies.

Key Contributions: Co-developer of the Test of Emotion Comprehension (TEC), used globally in clinical, educational, and research settings. His grants include projects on neurodevelopmental disorders, emotional insight, and cross-cultural psychology funded by institutions in Norway, Spain, Canada, and Switzerland.

Awards: 2024 SFPEADA Research Prize, 2023 Psychoanalytic Research Award, 2019 Lev Vygotsky Award, and 2010 Teaching Award (University of Oslo).

Awarding & Grants: Supervised over 30 Ph.D. theses and 19 external evaluations. Collaborates internationally with institutions like Harvard, Zhejiang University, and Moscow State University. Active in academic governance, serving on boards for research and education at the University of Oslo.

Labs/Teams: Leads the Developmental Unit at the University of Oslo. Co-directs projects on emotional understanding and intervention strategies in educational settings.