Jacobs Center for productive youth development

As individuals transition from childhood to adolescence and then to adulthood, they face a number of social and occupational challenges. These transitions are a focus of research at the Jacobs Center for Productive Youth Development, which is located at the University of Zurich. The Jacobs Center, an innovative, interdisciplinary and international institution, conducts theory-based empirical research that takes into account individual, institutional and social influences.

It was established in 2003 as a joint venture of the Jacobs Foundation and the University of Zurich. In 2015, cooperation expanded as the Center became part of the Faculty of Arts and the Faculty of Economics, Business Administration and Information Technology at the University of Zurich.

At the Center researchers are studying the impact of various social, psychological and economic factors on the development of children and youth. In this context, three professorships and three assistant professorships were established in the fields of psychology, sociology and economics. The Center organizes international and national symposiums aimed at promoting a lively exchange of views among members of the international scientific community.