Dr. Christoph Mattes

    Undergraduate and postgraduate education and work experience

    Education

    • 1993 - 1998: Studied social work at the Catholic University of Applied Sciences in Freiburg im Breisgau, specialising in rehabilitation and assistance for delinquents
    • 1998 - 2001: Studied business administration at the Administration and Business Academy in Freiburg im Breisgau, Germany
    • 2002 - 2003: Postgraduate studies at the Faculty of Philosophy of the Free University of Berlin, Department of Educational Sciences, field of work social pedagogy
    • 2007: PhD submitted with the title: “First courted - then punished. A criticism of the treatment of consumer indebtedness by social work.” Viva on 13.02.2007

    Career milestones

    • 1996 - 2009: Social worker at the Wilhelm Oberle Foundation in Staufen, Germany
    • 2005 - 2015: Research associate in various organisational units of the School of Social Work of the FHNW, most recently at the Institute for Social Planning and Urban Development.
    • Since 2015: Lecturer at the Institute for Social Planning, Organisational Change and Urban Development at the School of Social Work, FHNW
    • 2016 - 2018: MAS Consulting, Supervision and Coaching in Organisations. ZHAW Institute for Applied Psychology, Zurich

    Main focus

    • Debt, debt counselling and debt prevention
    • Advising, supervision and coaching
    • Poverty, life situations and social inequality
    • Social planning and social policy

    Further information

    • ECDN European Consumer Debt Network
    • Network “Finanzkompetenz” Switzerland
    • Association “Basiswissen Geld” Switzerland
    • Federal working group for debt advice, Germany
    • Advisory board member of umbrella organisation for debt advice, Switzerland

    Reviewer for the journals

    • Preventative Medicine Reports
    • International Journal of Public Health
    • Swiss Journal for Sociology

    Publications and projects