Biography
Francisco Pons (Ph.D. from the University of Geneva) is a Professor of Developmental Psychology and Head of the Health, Developmental and Personality Section (HUP) at the Department of Psychology (Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Oslo). Prior to this, he has held positions at the Universities of Geneva, Aalborg, Oxford, and Harvard. His teaching and research focuses on the development of emotional competence, metacognition and intelligence in both typical and non-typical children and adolescents, including those with ASD, learning difficulties, and who have experienced abuse. He explores these topics across Western (Latin, Slavic, Germanic, Immigrants) and Non-Western cultures (Quechua, Han, Fon, Arabic, Christian, Muslim) and aims to integrate developmental research with educational practices in kindergarten and schools. Many of these studies have been supported by external grants (Canada, France, Spain, Switzerland and Norway). Pons has authored > 125 peer-reviewed international scientific publications, including books such as "Emotions in research and practice," "Towards Emotional Competences," and "Emotions at School." He has also developed with Paul Harris from Harvard University the Test of Emotion Comprehension (TEC), which has been translated into > 25 languages and is used by various clinical, educational, and research institutions worldwide (www.francfort.ch/tec).
Research Interests
Four research areas:
- Emotional Development
- Metacognitive Development
- Cognitive Development
- Integration of Developmental Research and Educational Practices
Participants are native and immigrants typical and non-typical children and adolescents (e.g. deaf, autistic, abused, mentally retarded) from Western (Latin, Slavic, Germanic, Immigrants) and Non-Western societies and cultures (Quechua, Han, Fon, Arabic, Christian, Muslim).
Teaching (University of Oslo)
- Coordinator of the 5th semester of the Clinical program
- PSY1200 - Introduction to developmental psychology
- PSY2206 - Cognition, emotion and language
- PSYC3200 - Developmental psychology
- PSY4203 - Emotional Development
- PSY4204 - Hands-on training in emotional and cognitive development
- PSY9202 - Ph.d. seminar in developmental psychology
Education & Positions
Education
- 1993-1997: Ph.D. in Psychology – Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland.
- 1990-1992: Master in Psychology – Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland.
- 1986-1990: Bachelor in Psychology – Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland.
- 1980-1984: Diploma of Architect – Department of Architecture, Geneva Engineering School, Geneva, Switzerland.
Positions
- 2019 - : Head of Section - Health, Developmental and Personality Section (HUP)
- Since 2007: Professor – Department of Psychology, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Oslo, Oslo, Norway.
- 2004-2007: Professor – Department of Communication and Psychology, Faculty of Humanities, University of Aalborg, Aalborg, Denmark.
- 2003-2004: Associate Professor – Department of Communication and Psychology, Faculty of Humanities, University of Aalborg, Aalborg, Denmark.
- 2002-2003: Post-Doctoral Fellow – Human Development and Psychology, Graduate School of Education, Harvard University, Cambridge, United States of America
- 2001-2002: Assistant Professor – Department of Psychology, Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland.
- 1999-2001: Post-Doctoral Fellow – Department of Experimental Psychology, University of Oxford, Oxford, United Kingdom.
- 1997-1999: Senior Lecturer & Researcher – Department of Psychology, Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland.
- 1992-1997: Junior Lecturer & Researcher – Department of Psychology, Faculty of Psychology and Educational Sciences, University of Geneva, Geneva, Switzerland.
- 1986-1990: Social worker – Psychiatric University Hospital of Geneva (88-90); Caritas (87-88); SportHandicap (86-87) – Geneva, Switzerland.
- 1986-1989: Architect – Bureau d'Architecture Leuba, Geneva, Switzerland.
Honorary positions, Prizes & Consultancies
Honorary positions & Prizes
- 2023: Psychoanalytic Research Exception Contribution Awards (with Perrizolo-Pointer, Glaus, Stein Willheim, Vital, Aarnautovic, Kaleka, Rusconi, Moser & Schechter)
- 2019: Lev Vygotsky Award 2019, European Federation of Psychologists Associations (EFPA)
- 2019 - : Elected Foreign Member of the State Academy of Sciences - Russian Academy of Education.
- 2010: Teaching Award (Department of Psychology, University of Oslo)
- 2007 - 2012: Adjunct Professor – Department of Communication and Psychology, Faculty of Humanities, University of Aalborg, Aalborg, Denmark.
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2007 & 2008: Guest Professor – University of Paris X - Nanterre, Paris, France.
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2004-2016: Professor – Doctoral School, Faculty of Educational Sciences, University of Milano Bicocca, Italy.
International Scientific Boards
Referee for the:
- Ministerio de Ciencia, Innovacion y Universidades (Spain),
- Russian International Affairs Council & Russian Science Foundation.
- Academy of Finland
- Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) - United Kingdom
- Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada (SSHRC)
- Fonds de recherche du Québec - Société et Culture (Canada)
- Austrian Science Fund (FWF)
- Swedish Research Council (VR), the Knut and Alice Wallenberg Foundation & the Riksbankens Jubileumsfond - Sweden
Associate Editor & Reviewer (Journals & Publishers, Past & Present)
- Associate Editor: British Journal of Developmental Psychology
- Editorial Board: Revista Infancia y Aprendizaje
- Reviewer (Journals): Child Development, Developmental Psychology, Infant and Child Development, Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry, Social Development, British Journal of Developmental Psychology, Journal of Applied Developmental Psychology, Journal of Child Language, European Psychologist, Canadian Journal of Experimental Psychology, Archives de Psychologie, L’Année Psychologie.
- Reviewer (Publisher): Palgrave-MacMillan, Sage, Pearson.
Consultancies
- Norwegian Immigration Appeals Board (UNE)
- International Red Cross Committee (Switzerland)
- Videnscenter for Autisme (Denmark)
- SOM.OS (Spanish NGO)
- Emotional Resilience in Infancy and Childhood Laboratory (University of Sidney), etc.
Department of Psychology & University of Olso
- Member of the Board of The Norwegian Union of Researchers at the University of Oslo (Forskerforbundet - UiO) (2016 - 2023)
- Verneombud (2018 – 2019)
- Leader of the Developmental Unit (2008-2013)
- Member of the Bachelor & Master, Professional (Clinical) & Departmental (vicar) Boards (2008-2015)
- Academic Representative for International Affairs (2007 - 2019)
External Grants (PI (4), Partner (9))
- Norwegian Centre for International Cooperation in Education (DIKU)
- NILS Science and Sustainability (European Economic Area)
- The Social Sciences and Humanities Research Council of Canada
- The Scientific and University Cooperation Mission (France)
- Norwegian Research Council (NFR)
- Ministry of Education and Science (Spain)
- Swiss National Science Foundation (FNRS)
Supervisions & Evaluations
7 Qualifications to Professorship (France, Russia & Norway), 30 Ph.D. theses (11 Supervisions & 19 External Evaluations) & > 30 Master theses (> 15 Supervisions & > 15 External Evaluations):
- University of Vienna (Austria)
- Catholic University of Louvain (Belgium)
- Aalborg University, Copenhagen University, Århus University (Denmark)
- Paris X University, Nantes University, Clermont-Aubergne University (France)
- University of Milano-Bicocca, Torino University, LUMSA-Roma (Italy)
- Oslo Universtiy (Oslo)
- Lisbon University (Portugal)
- Lomonosov Moscow State University (Russia)
- UNED – Madrid, University Jaume I, Alicante University, University Autonoma of Barcelona (Spain)
- Geneva University (Switzerland)
- Oxford University (United Kingdom)
Major contributions to early careers of researchers
- Eleanora Farina (2008), Associate Professor, Milano University
- Nicoleta Businaro (2011) Associate Professor, VID University (Oslo)
- Imac Zambrana (2012), Associate Professor, Oslo New University;
- Nives Sala (2013), Senior Researcher, Torino University
- Patrick Bender (2013), Associate Professor, Aalborg University
- Elise Tornare (2016), Associate Professor, Poitier University
- Karine Porpino Viana (2019), Associate Professor, Oslo Metropolitan University
- Margarita Gavrilova (2021). Researcher, Lomonosov Moscow State University
- Rune Flaaten Bjørk (2021). University Lecturer, University of Oslo
- Benedetta Ragni (2022). Researcher, LUMSA, Rome
- Anna Leybina (2023). Researcher, University of Tel Aviv
- Mathide Prenovost (2024). University Lecturer, University of Oslo
Research Cooperation
- Paul Harris (Harvard University)
- Annie Roy-Charland (University of Moncton)
- Yulong Tang (Zhejiang University of Technology), Juan Wang (Beijing Normal University)
- Ai Mizokawa (Nagoya University)
- Martin Accad (ABTS, Beirut)
- Anna Leibyna (University of Tel-Aviv)
- Francois Azoh (Ecole Normale Superieure de Côte d’Ivoire)
- Alexander Veraksa, Margarita Gavrilova, Daria Bukhalenkova (Lomonosov Moscow State University University)
- Laura Visu-Petra (University of Cluj-Napoca)
- Arkadiusz Gut (University of Torun)
- Harriet Tenenbaum (University of Surrey)
- Daniel Schechter (University of Lausanne)
- Elise Tornare (University of Poitiers), Marie Danet (University of Lille), Jean-Baptiste van der Herst (CNRS, Lyon)
- Paola Molina, Daniela Bulgarelli (University of Torino)
- Marta Gimenez Dasi (Complutense University of Madrid), Mari Aguilera Ruiz (University of Barcelona), Nadia Ahufinger Sanclemente (Open University of Catalunya), Clara Andrés-Roqueta (University Jaume 1, Castellon)
- Patrick Bender (Aalborg University)
- Karine Porpino Viana (OsloMet), Imac Zambrana (Oslo New University College), Tone Hermansen, Rolf Reber, Evalill Bølstad, Mathilde Prenevost (University of Oslo)