Prof. Dr. Sandra Cortesi
Academic Career and Research Areas
Research co-designed with youth and partners incl. UNICEF and OECD examines how young people engage with digital technologies (including AI) and how evidence informs policy and products, with a focus on digital child safety; digital skills; agency; well-being; and the future of work.
Sandra joined TUMas Rudolf Mössbauer Assistant Professor for Participation and Diversity in Digital Societies in the Spring of 2025. In partnership with the TUM Think Tank and with a passion for interdisciplinary work and international collaboration, she leads the Youth and Media Lab and the Creativity Lab. Prior to her appointment, Sandra was a Fellow at Harvard University’s Berkman Klein Center for Internet & Society, where she directed the Youth and Media project and remains a Faculty Associate. She has obtained a PhD in psychology.
Awards
- Teaching Award Nomination, Best Lecture, IKMZ, University of Zurich (UZH) (2025)
- Shortlisted for «UZH Award for Best Teaching», UZH (2025)
- Teaching Award, Best Research Seminar, IKMZ, UZH (2024)
- Teaching Award Nomination, Best Lecture, IKMZ, UZH (2023)
- Teaching Award Nomination, Best Research Seminar, IKMZ, UZH (2022)
Key Publications (all publications)
Cortesi, S., Hasse, A., Lombana-Bermudez, A., Kim, S., & Gasser, U. (2020). Youth and digital citizenship+ (plus): Understanding skills for a digital world. Berkman Klein Center for Internet & Society at Harvard University.
AbstractCortesi, S. (2022). 15 ways to engage youth within your company and why you should do it. Berkman Klein Center for Internet & Society at Harvard University.
AbstractFrontiers in Digital Child Safety Working Group. (2025). Frontiers in digital child safety: Designing a child-centered digital environment that supports rights, agency, and well-being (S. Cortesi & U. Gasser, Eds.). TUM Think Tank at the Munich School of Politics and Public Policy at the Technical University of Munich, Berkman Klein Center for Internet & Society at Harvard University, and Department of Communications and Media Research at the University of Zurich.
AbstractGasser, U., & Cortesi, S. (2017). Children’s rights and digital technologies: Introduction to the discourse and some meta-observations. In M. D. Ruck, M. Peterson-Badali & M. Freeman (Eds.), Handbook of children's rights: Global and multidisciplinary perspectives (pp. 417-436). Routledge.
AbstractHasse, A., Cortesi, S., Lombana-Bermudez, A., & Gasser, U. (2019). Youth and artificial intelligence: Where we stand. Berkman Klein Center for Internet & Society at Harvard University.
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