Helmut Erich

Willems

Helmut Willems, Dr. phil habil, is professor for sociology at the University of Luxembourg since 2006. He is vice-director of the interdisciplinary research unit INSIDE and director of the Institute for generation and family research, and head of the Luxemburgish youth research.

He received his PhD at the University of Trier in 1988 where he also earned his habilitation for sociology in 2002. From 1990 to 1991 he worked at the Centre for European Studies as John F. Kennedy Memorial Fellow at the Harvard University, USA. Between 1995 and 2000 he was Chair of the department "youth research" at the German youth institute, Munich.

His main research interests concern the sociology of youth, youth policy and youth work; research on political participation, violence and conflicts, mediation and prevention; and research on migration, integration and segregation.

Research interests

Youth

Generation and Family

Scientific Reporting

Policy Research

Apllied Social Reserach

Political Sociology

Radicalisation

Violence

Latest content Helmut Erich Willems took part in

Virtual Faculty

Preparing for the post-pandemic challenges

From the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, the humanities and social sciences took a strong interest in this health crisis. While a lot of projects are examining the management and impact of the pandemic on our current lives, one of them wishes to look further. "Young People and COVID-19 - Social, Economic, and Health Consequences of Infection Prevention and Control Measures for Young People in Luxembourg", aims to monitor the short-term and long-term impact of the crisis on the 16-29 years old in Luxembourg.

Social Sciences

Health behaviour in school-aged children (HBSC) – a WHO collaborative study in 50 countries

For over 30 years, the HBSC study has been assessing the health behaviours of young people in 50 countries. With this data base it is possible to identify and respond to health risks and inequalities among young people. This is particularly relevant because health problems that arise during this critical stage of life can have an impact even in later life.