Sjoerd Karsten is Max Goote Professor of Policy and Organisation of Vocational Education, Adult Education and Life long learning. He completed his doctoral studies ( cum laude ) at the Universiteit Leiden in Empirical Sociology with special reference to Educational Sociology and Methodology. He received his PhD in social science from the same university. He has previously held academic positions at the Universiteit Leiden, the Protestant Training Institute for Social Work in Amsterdam, the Catholic Institute for the Training of Teachers, and (as visiting professor) at the Chulalongkorn University in Bangkok, Thailand. He has published on school-based management, choice and ethnic segregation, and comparative educational policy in journals such as Comparative Education Review , Comparative Education , Compare, Journal of Educational Policy , Educational Policy , and Educationand Urban Society . He co-edited the volume Education in East Central Europe: educational changes after the fall of communism. He has also written on citizenship education in several books, Citizenship for the 21 st Century (Kogan Page) and Educating Citizens (Brookings Institution Press).
He has been a guest speaker at various institutions and seminars in Europe, USA and Asia. In the past, he has served as an advisor to the Dutch Ministry of Education, the Ministry of Social Affairs, the National Education Council and the National Inspectorate and has served as an external expert for the European Union. He has done work for the Sasakawa Foundation (Tokyo), Spencer Foundation (Chicago), Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation (Seattle) and the Brookings Institution (Washington).
He has published about ten books, thirty reports, and over 150 articles and book chapters.
His research centres on education policy, pupils at risk, vocational education and parental choice.
Honingh, M., & Karsten, S. (2007). Marketization in the Dutch vocational education sector. Public Management Review, 9 (1), 135-143.
Löwstedt, J., Larsson, P., Karsten, S., & Van Dick, R. e. (2007). From Intensified Work to Professional Development; A Journey through European Schools . Bruxelles etc.: P.I.E. Peter Lang.
Karsten, S. (2006). Freedom of education and common civic values. European Education, 38 (2), 23-35.
Karsten, S., Felix, C., Ledoux, G., Meijnen, G. W., Roeleveld, J., & Schooten, E. v. (2006). Choosing segregation or integration? The extent and effects of ethnic segregation in Dutch cities. Education and Urban Society, 38 (2), 228-247.
Karsten, S. (2006). Policy for disadvantaged children under scrutiny: the Dutch policy compared with policies in England , France and the USA . Comparative Education, 42 (2), 261-282.
Dijkstra, A.B., Dronkers, J. & Karsten, S. (2004). Private Schools and Public Provision for education: School Choice and Marketization in the Netherlands. In P.J. Wolf & S. Macedo (Eds), Educating citizens. International perspectives on civic values and school choice. Washington: Brookings Institution Press
Karsten, S., Ledoux, G, Roeleveld, J., Felix, & Elshof, D. (2003). School choice and ethnic segregation. Educational Policy, 17 (4), 452-477.
Karsten, S., Cogan, J. J., Grossman, D. L., Liu, M.-h., & Pitiyanuwat, S. (2002). Citizenship education and the preparation of future teachers. Asia Pacific Education Review, 3 (2),168-183.
Karsten,S., Peetsma, T., Roeleveld, J., & Vergeer, M. (2001). The Dutch policy of integration put to the test: differences in academic and psychosocial development of pupils in special and mainstream education. European Journal of Special Needs Education, 16 (3), 193-205.
Karsten, S., Visscher, A., & Jong, T. d. (2001). Another side to the coin: The unintended effects of the publication of school performance data in England and France. Comparative Education, 37 (2), 231-242.
Karsten, S. (1999). Neoliberal Education Reform in The Netherlands. Comparative Education, 35 (3), 303-317.
Karsten, S., & Meijer, J. (1999). School-Based Management in the Netherlands: The Educational Consequences of Lump-Sum Funding. Educational policy, 13 (3), 421-439.
Karsten, S. (1999). Parental choice and the competition between schools in the Netherlands. La Revue Tocqueville/The Tocqueville Review, 20 (2), 101-109.
Karsten, S., Kubow, P., Matrai, Z., & Pitiyanuwat, S. (1998). Challenges Facing the 21st Century Citizen: Views of Policy Makers. In J.J. Cogan & R. Derricott (Eds.), Citizenship education for the 21st Century (pp. 93-114). London: Kogan Page.
Karsten, S., & Teelken, C. (1996). School Choice in the Netherlands. Oxford Studies in Comparative Education, 6 (1), 17-31.
Karsten, S., Groot, I., & Ruiz, M. A. (1995). Value Orientations of the Dutch Educational Elite. Comparative Education Review, 39 (4), 508-523.
Karsten, S., & Majoor, D. (1995). Education in East Central Europe. Educational Changes after the Fall of Communism. New York: Waxmann.
Karsten, S. (1994). Policy on Ethnic Segregation in a System of Choice: TheCase of the Netherlands. JournalofEducation Policy, 9 (3), 211-225.