Participants of the Research Retreat 2018 Photo: Sabine Schäfer

Research Retreat 2018

A weekend, secluded from the academic everyday work, to be able to focus on the presentation and discussion of new doctoral projects: That's the Research Retreat . The Research Retreat of 2018 took place from 23 to 24 december in Vlotho near Bielefeld. 13 doctoral researchers took the opportunity to present and discuss their dissertation projects. In addition to the new colleagues, Prof. Dr. Ursula Mense-Petermann and Prof. Dr. Oliver Flügel-Martinsen participated in the presentations and discussions of the projects.

Beyond the presentations, the participants of the research retreat had the opportunity to enter into an interdisciplinary dialogue. One of the doctoral researchers, Malin Sonja Wilckens, highlights the unique atmosphere: “We discussed scientific contents deeply and the exciting frame of different disciplines was therefor very fruitful. I also remember the nice talk inbetween, because it was a pleasure to get to know everyone better.”

The yearly research retreat invites first year BGHS doctoral researchers. Besides the presentation and discussion of their dissertation projects the new BGHS colleagues are also welcomed by their doctoral representatives.

For further information about the Research Retreat please see: Research Retreat
You can find an overview of current programmes here: BGHS Programme

The Dissertation Projects of the Participants

• Paul Akuetteh Agoe (Soziologie): Transnational Influences on Clothing Practices of Second-Generation Ghanaian Immigrants in North-Rhine Westphalia


• Kim Dang (Geschichte): Post-socialist Governance at Work:Urban Vietnamese Workers and Their Management


• Álvaro Augusto Espinoza Rizo(Soziologie): Sacred Spaces in Managua: Approaches from Bourdieu and Lefebvre


• Haikel Latiff Fansuri (Soziologie): Contested Masculinity in Southeast Asia - Social Media as a Canvas for Belonging


• Marvin Bürmann (Soziologie): Formale Fehlqualifikationen in Zeiten von Migration und Digitalisierung


• Jascha Nord(Soziologie): Nationen und Verfassungen: Eine historisch-soziologische Analyse zum Beitrag von Verfassungen bei der Entstehung von Nationalstaaten an den Beispielen USA, Frankreich und Haiti. (1776~1848)


• Agnes Maria Piekacz(Geschichte): The Colonists‘ Old Clothes. Altkleiderhandel im British Empire, ca. 1850–1910


• Robert Schmieder (Soziologie): Die sozialen Netzwerke der jüdischen Arbeiterbewegung Englands und ihre transnationalen Verbindungen nach Osteuropa und in die USA. Innere Dynamik und gesellschaftliche Bedingtheit einer sozialen Bewegung


• Andrea Schwarz (Soziologie): Applying a Latent Class Framework to Explore Panel Attrition Processes in Criminological Studies: An Illustration Based on the Study Crime in the Modern City


• Rebecca Knecht (Soziologie): Thinking Masculinity. Care Staff’s Ascriptions of Belonging in Working with Minor Refugees.


• Yannick Schöpper (Soziologie): Erneuerbare Energien-Politik zwischen Kontinuität und Wandel. Die Regulierung der deutschen und britischen Elektrizitätswirtschaft im Vergleich


• Malin Sonja Wilckens (Geschichte): Das große Köpfemessen – Eine Globalgeschichte der reisenden Schädel


• Mira Claire Zadrozny (Geschichte):Ruinenbilder.(Neues) Vergleichendes Sehen im Paris der Mitte des 19. Jahrhunderts

Letter installation "BGHS" in front of the conference rooms. Photo: Philipp Ottendörfer.

On 30 November and 1 December the conference "Graduate Training of Young Scholars in Germany” took place in the X Building of the University of Bielefeld as part of the 50th anniversary of the University of Bielefeld and the 10th anniversary of the BGHS. The welcome was addressed by the rector of the university, Gerhard Sagerer, who emphasized the success of the BGHS in the last 10 years, as well as the director of the BGHS, Ursula Mense-Petermann.

The welcome by the director of the BGHS Prof. Mense-Petermann.
Photo: Philipp Ottendörfer.

The director of the BGHS Prof. Mense-Petermann and the deputy director of the BGHS, Prof. Thomas Welskopp can look back on 10 years of BGHS.
Photo: Philipp Ottendörfer.

Then the two directors of the BGHS, Ursula Mense-Petermann and Thomas Welskopp, looked back on 10 years of BGHS. The main elements and events were recapitulated under the keywords formation and establishment as an organization - the doctoral researcher of the BGHS - the development of the structured study program - interdisciplinarity - internationality - equality - activities of the doctoral researchers - contributions to the structural development of the university. In the end, they showed various results and gave a small outlook on the future of the BGHS.

The panel discussion on "The Future of Graduate Training" in X-E0-001.
Photo: Philipp Ottendörfer.

Prof. Reitz (middle) answers questions on the podium. The moderator Götzke on the left next to him, along with Rector Sagerer. Photo: Philipp Ottendörfer.

Peter Strohschneider in conversation with BGHS Director Ursula Mense-Petermann. Photo: Philipp Ottendörfer.

This was followed by a panel discussion titled "The Future of Graduate Training", moderated by Manfred Götzke, editor and moderator of “Campus und Karriere” at Deutschlandfunk. The podium included Peter Strohschneider, President of the German Research Foundation (DFG), Tilman Reitz, professor of sociology of knowledge at the University of Jena and expert on the subject of young researchers, Gerhard Sagerer, the rector of the Bielefeld University and Ursula Mense-Petermann, the director the BGHS, high-carat occupied. The panel discussion quickly became lively. One topic that Tilman Reitz included in the discussion was the 9-point catalog "On the Education and Promotion of Young Academics", which BGHS doctoral candidates had prepared in the run-up to the event and which was also handed over to all panelists. Some questions related to the catalog were then put to the podium by doctoral candidates in the open discussion round.

The doctoral researcher Jana Hoffmann hands over the 9-point catalog for training and promotion of young researchers, which was created by BGHS doctoral candidates. Photo: Philipp Ottendörfer.

The participants of the panel discussion "The future of graduate training".
Photo: Philipp Ottendörfer.

Richard Münch gives the lecture on "Academic careers". Photo: Philipp Ottendörfer.

After the panel discussion, there was a small snack, followed by the ceremonial lecture of Prof. Richard Münch, Emeritus of the University of Bamberg and sociologist, who has published among other things on academic capitalism. He gave his lecture on "Academic careers. Between global competition and national traditions."

The next morning, 1 December, the conference continued with two panel discussions. The first panel dealt with the topic "Situation of Young Scientists" and was moderated by Prof. Flügel-Martinsen. The first lecture was given by Jens Ambrassat from the German Center for Higher Education and Science Hannover. The lecture was titled "Staying in Academia? On the opportunity structure of young researchers" and gave an empirical basis for the current employment situation of doctoral researcher and postdocs in German academia. The peculiarities of humanities and social scientists became clear. As the second speaker Tilman Reitz talked about the the plight of employment of young scholar- about causes and alternatives.

Jens Ambrassat (DZHW) gives a lecture on remaining in academia.
Photo: Philipp Ottendörfer.

Tilman Reitz (University of Jena) talks about the employment misery for the young researcher, its causes and possible alternatives. Photo: Philipp Ottendörfer.

Panel 1 on the Situation of young researcher. Photo: Philipp Ottendörfer.

Carola Bauschke-Urban (Fulda University of Applied Sciences) spoke about doctoral thesis at the University of Applied Sciences. Photo: Philipp Ottendörfer.

Mandy Böhnke (University of Bremen / Jacobs University) was dedicated to the topic of doctoral research in a network. Photo: Philipp Ottendörfer.

The second panel was about cooperation and competition in academia and was moderated by Sabine Schäfer, the academic director of BGHS. Carola Bauschke-Urban from the University of Applied Sciences Fulda spoke on the doctoral thesis at Universities of Applied Sciences and Mandy Boehnke of the Bremen International Graduate School of Social Sciences on doctoral thesis in a network.

Panel 2 about cooperation and competition in academia. Photo: Philipp Ottendörfer.

A snack on X-B2 then leads to the ceremonial part. On Saturday afternoon, the jubilee could be celebrated in the premises of the BGHS with various program items.

The presenter Sissy Lorenz warms up the audience for the Science Slam.
Photo: Philipp Ottendörfer.

The moderator Sissy Lorenz first led a Science Slam, in which three BGHS doctoral researcher and a BGHS alumnus competed and slams were heard that have revealed, for example, how to get into the holiday paradise with blast prices. Then the alumni Ulf Ortmann and Mahshid Mayar talked about their time in the BGHS and the doctoral representative for the International, Sisay Dirirsa, read a letter from the Alumna Rumin Lou. After Reinhard Nießner had performed the piece "From the Life of a Humanities Scientist", the 10th anniversary was celebrated for a long time in the rooms of the BGHS.

The participants of the Science Slam Patrick Kahl, Franz Kather, Carolin Kunz and Christian Ulbricht in the order of their appearance. Photo: Philipp Ottendörfer.

Sisay Dirirsa speaks for the international doctoral researcher of the BGHS and reads a letter from Alumna Rumin Lou. Photo: Philipp Ottendörfer.

The DJ at the BGHS anniversary party. Photo: Philipp Ottendörfer.

Party talks at the BGHS anniversary party. Photo: Philipp Ottendörfer.

BGHS doctoral researchers in front of the letter installation ‘BGHS’.
Photo: Philipp Ottendörfer.