BGHS.NEWS

Linie 4: The present as "musealium". How museums show ongoing wars

2026-05-21T10:18:44+02:00

Linie 4: The present as "musealium". How museums show ongoing wars

(Foto: Anastasia Serikova)

Objects associated with armies and various types of military action have aroused the interest of collectors and the public for centuries. In today's European museums, however, not only historical but also modern artefacts can be found - such as drones, parts of other weapons or everyday objects from the front. This lecture, which is part of the public lecture series Linie 4 - Neues aus der sozialwissenschaftlichen und historischen Forschung, organised by the BGHS in cooperation with the VHS Bielefeld, focuses on how ideas have changed over the centuries about what things related to war should be kept in museums and shown to the public.

Anastasia Serikova's lecture entitled "Present as "Musealium": How museums display ongoing wars” addresses the question of how today's museums collect and exhibit objects from ongoing wars. For her doctoral thesis, she analysed photos from more than 20 exhibitions on the ongoing war in Ukraine in various countries. Based on her detailed observations, she shows the risks that can arise for museums.

Anastasia Serikova is a museologist and has been working on her doctorate in history at the Bielefeld Graduate School in History and Sociology since 2023, funded by a scholarship from the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD). In her scientific and journalistic publications, she deals with Russian museums in the 20th and 21st centuries, focusing in particular on the interpretation of a controversial or contradictory heritage.

The lecture will take place (in German) on Wednesday, 27 May 2026 at 6.15 pm in room 240 at the vhs Bielefeld, Ravensberger Park 1.

Career paths: Insights from BGHS alumni into fields of work in the cultural sector

2026-05-21T09:15:22+02:00

Career paths: Insights from BGHS alumni into fields of work in the cultural sector

Non-academic fields offer excellent career opportunities for historians with a PhD. This was once again made clear at the BGHS event “Career Paths – Insights from BGHS alumni into the cultural sector”, which took place online at the end of April. Four BGHS alumni spoke about their varied professional roles in museums, memorial sites, archives and libraries, how they came to hold their positions, and the high quality of life their jobs afford them.

Culture – a broad field

Working in the cultural sector not only offers a wide range of employment opportunities, but the jobs themselves are also extremely varied and diverse. Collaboration plays an important role, as displayed by the types of organisations in which the alumni work.

Christiane Heß works at the Hamburg Memorials and Learning Centres Foundation and is responsible for events and educational outreach at the Fuhlsbüttel and Poppenbüttel memorials and the Stadthaus historical site. This means she develops educational programmes for young people and adults, for example on topics such as police history and persecution under National Socialism. Recently, however, she has been primarily involved in the development of the Stadthaus historical site, dealing with matters such as construction supervision and curating an exhibition. As a result, her responsibilities have expanded significantly.

Things are quite different at the Leipzig State Archive, a department of the Saxon State Archive. Torben Möbius is responsible for the formation of the archive collection, which means he decides which documents are historically significant enough to be archived for the long term. In doing so, he advises government bodies, such as police authorities based in the Leipzig region, on records management, whilst also ensuring the transfer of documents to the archive. Furthermore, he responds to enquiries from archive users, is responsible for editing a blog on practical and academic archival topics, and handles press relations in general.

As Head of the Secretariat of the German Digital Library Competence Network at the Prussian Cultural Heritage Foundation in Berlin, Martin Breuer’s role is primarily one of coordination. He is responsible for financial management, reporting to the governing bodies, networking with other cultural institutions and sites of the German Digital Library, and press relations. In addition, he secures external funding. And, of course, managing the office with a team of ten staff is a task that should not be underestimated.

Christian Möller is Deputy Chairperson of the Bielefeld Historical Museum. He curates the museum’s exhibitions and special displays, and in this capacity also has opportunities to conduct research, focusing in particular on the regional history. He is also responsible for public relations and outreach work. This means he establishes contacts in Bielefeld, for example with the Jewish Community or the Historical Society, with whom events are then organised, and implements collaborative projects. As deputy director, he also takes on tasks within the internal organisation, most recently the sustainability certification process.

Career paths – of goals and detours

The career paths of the four alumni have not been straightforward; rather, they have all taken one detour or another.

Martin, for example, was employed as an academic co-worker on a collaborative project during his PhD and also as a postdoc, where he took on coordination tasks. After that, he continued to work in fixed-term roles: as a project manager on a fixed-term project for the German Digital Library, as a cover for parental leave, and in research management. The experience he gained in these roles ultimately recommended him for his current position. But none of this was planned.

The Wehrmacht Exhibition, which caused a major socio-political stir in Germany from 1995 onwards, sparked Christiane’s interest in the politics of remembrance and led to her becoming an activist. She had already worked as a student assistant at the foundation, which was then still called the Neuengamme Memorial, and later wrote her doctoral thesis on the Ravensbrück and Neuengamme concentration camps. She has thus been in regular contact with the memorial sites, as a researcher, curator and in educational work. After completing her PhD, however, she initially spent four years working in the field of public history at the University of Lüneburg, where she also prepared a postdoctoral project. But when her current post was advertised, she seized the opportunity, even though it was not a research post but an educational one, which pays slightly less. “That’s a reality in museums that you have to come to terms with,” she says. But the post is permanent and therefore easier to balance with family life.

Christian, too, initially held a position as a research associate at the University of Düsseldorf, where he was working on a postdoctoral project. Then his contract came to an end and his second child was born, making it clear that the fixed-term contracts typical of university life were no longer an option. Two options then presented themselves: on the one hand, he had successfully taken part in an assessment process for junior managers at the Federal Employment Agency and could have started there. On the other hand, the North Rhine-Westphalia State Parliament in Düsseldorf was establishing a new museum, the “Haus der Geschichte”, and was looking for a member of staff. Christian also applied for this position successfully and accepted the role, which marked his entry into the museum sector and, as he puts it, “opened the door to the position in Bielefeld”.

Unlike the other three, Torben decided early on after completing his PhD that he wanted to leave academia. Nevertheless, he continued to work temporarily as a research associate in the SFB “Practices of Comparison” and used this time to reorient himself. During his research, he spent a great deal of time in the archives and specifically chose this career path. He first undertook a lengthy internship at the Regional Church Archive in Bielefeld to find out “whether this might be something for me”, as he puts it. He then followed the structured route and completed a two-year trainee programme, which comprised an eight-month placement at the training archive and 14 months at the Archive School in Marburg. With this training, you can apply for senior civil service posts, which are usually permanent and well-paid.

Satisfaction and quality of life

The four alumni are very satisfied with their situation and agree that their jobs offer them a higher quality of life than would have been expected in academia. This is partly because they all have children and families and were no longer willing or able to put up with fixed-term contracts or the commute. But they also really enjoy the fact that work and leisure time are clearly separated. “It’s satisfying when you work through a whole pile of work during the week and then say on Friday: ‘It’s midday now, I’m finishing for the day and the weekend’s here,’” says Christian. Torben agrees: “There’s a time clock. When I close the office door here or shut my laptop at home, I’ve got free time.” Martin shows a slight ambivalence when he says: “I do have to deal with things I don’t find particularly exciting, but it’s a job that offers quality of life,” for instance when he can ‘work off’ overtime. The others also mention certain structural problems, such as funding cuts and dilapidated buildings, though these affect all public institutions. Christiane also talks about problems arising from the collaboration between volunteers, freelancers and permanent staff. She describes this as a hierarchical structure that she would prefer to see organised differently “in a perfect world”. “But overall, I work in a field that is extremely meaningful and simply absolutely vital,” she says. And even though she would like to have more time for research, she is very satisfied on the whole.

Some advice – not just for the cultural sector

Martin points out that there are pleasant differences between academic research and non-academic professional fields. In academia, for instance, a PhD is often not held in high regard, which can sometimes make one doubt one’s own abilities. Outside academia, however, this is often quite different, where a PhD is seen as an accolade. He believes it is important to present yourself with confidence in job interviews and in the workplace itself, as you do acquire a great deal during your PhD: a broad background knowledge of historical and political contexts, as well as the ability to quickly familiarise yourself with other contexts and distinguish the important from the unimportant.

Christian advises having the courage to be open-minded. He believes you need a “dream” of what you want to do – but also the willingness to deviate from it. He says: “It was a huge relief for me that I applied to the Federal Employment Agency, went through the assessment centre and got the offer.” The job interviews that followed were relaxed, as he had another option.

Torben recommends thinking carefully about what you want to do after your PhD and deciding soon, so that “there isn’t a long period of dithering”. But you also need to be patient with yourself. “When it comes to applications, you need a free shot where you can practise first, where things might also go pear-shaped. You mustn’t let that discourage you.”

And Christiane advises gaining experience on a small scale first, i.e. practising on small projects, for example as part of your PhD, through internships or by getting involved locally. In doing so, you get to know different people and perspectives. First of all, you need to get a taste of the field, understand it and see if you feel comfortable with it.

It was another stimulating and inspiring event, where we learnt a lot of new things and were convinced that non-academic career paths offer many exciting opportunities to find a fulfilling (professional) life.

300th Doctorate at the BGHS

2026-05-12T17:45:12+02:00

300th Doctorate at the BGHS

Kai-Sören Falkenhain is the 300th graduate of the BGHS. The title of his doctoral thesis is "Integration Functions of Conflicts in the Welfare State. The connection between integration, conflict and brokerage in Duisburg's municipal welfare system".

Congratulations!

Linie 4: "Dangerous myths: Vikings between pop culture and populism"

2026-05-12T17:42:27+02:00

Linie 4: "Dangerous myths: Vikings between pop culture and populism"

(Copyright: Sludge 9000)

Who were the Vikings really? Fearless warriors, explorers of foreign worlds or even the founders of equality and democracy? Hardly any other historical era is as present in our present day and at the same time as difficult to grasp as the so-called Viking Age. In her lecture "Dangerous Myths: Vikings between Pop Culture and Populism", Hannah von Legat addresses the question of what we can actually know about the Vikings, what we perhaps only think we know - and when such supposed knowledge becomes dangerous.

The lecture is part of the public lecture series Linie 4 - Neues aus der sozialwissenschaftlichen und historischen Forschung (Linie 4 - News from Social Science and Historical Research), organised by the BGHS in cooperation with the VHS Bielefeld, and traces how images of the Vikings have changed over the centuries and how strongly they were shaped by the needs and expectations of their time. This also applies to the present day: Vikings are more popular in popular culture today than they have been for a long time. But what image do the series, music videos and games actually convey? What story of masculinity, origin and originality is being told? In her lecture, Hannah von Legat invites us to scrutinise familiar ideas. She shows that the discussion about the Vikings is not (only) about the past, but also about our present: about desires, fears and identities that we so readily read into history.

Hannah von Legat is a historian and doctoral researcher at the BGHS. She is a research associate in a research project dealing with the topic of populism in Europe, and her doctoral thesis focuses on the question of how masculinity is produced and used for populist purposes in the reception of the Viking Age. In February 2025, she completed her Master’s degree in Interdisciplinary Medieval Studies at the University of Münster. During her studies, she spent several semesters at Stockholm University.

The lecture will take place (in German) on Wednesday, 20 May 2026 at 6.15 pm in room 240 at the vhs Bielefeld, Ravensberger Park 1.

Film project: Becoming. The Influence of the Environment on the Achievement of Potentials

2026-05-12T17:36:28+02:00

Film project: Becoming. The Influence of the Environment on the Achievement of Potentials

The fourth video from the BGHS film project "On People and Things - Science in Conversation" is now available on YouTube. Yixuan Liu explains how she analyses the relationship between health and education and the role played by genetic and environmental factors. She uses the extensive longitudinal data from the TwinLife project. And here is the video.

Film project: Making. Vocational Training in the Skilled Trades

2026-04-28T15:23:58+02:00

Film project: Making. Vocational Training in the Skilled Trades

There is a new video on the BGHS YouTube channel. In the third film of the BGHS film project "On People and Things - Science in Conversation", Paul Goerigk talks about his ethnographic research on interaction in vocational training. He observed trainees and trainers in a metal workshop to find out how the practical learning of skills actually takes place. And here is the video.

Podcast: Chronic Illness, University, and the Good Life

2026-04-28T15:19:19+02:00

Podcast: Chronic Illness, University, and the Good Life

The new episode of the BGHS podcast “Chances and Challenges”, Clara Buitrago, Coordinator for Internationalisation at the BGHS, talks to Sabine Schäfer about how she managed to complete a doctorate with a chronic illness, pursue a career at university and find the good life in the process. Listen to the podcast here.

“Linie 4” – Warriors, Wars, Crises

2026-04-21T10:05:56+02:00

“Linie 4” – Warriors, Wars, Crises

In May and June 2026, the public lecture series “Linie 4 – News from Social Science and Historical Research” will take place for the tenth time, organised by the BGHS in cooperation with the VHS Bielefeld. Four doctoral researchers from the BGHS will present their current research in a clear and accessible manner and discuss it with a broader public. This time, the focus is on warriors, wars and crises. The lectures will take place on Wednesdays from 6.15 pm to 8 pm at the VHS Bielefeld in Ravensberger Park, Room 240

On 20 May, the focus is on the Vikings. In her lecture “Dangerous Myths: Vikings between Pop Culture and Populism”, Hannah von Legat explores the questions of what we really know about the Vikings, what we merely think we know, and when this supposed knowledge can become dangerous.

On 27 May, Anastasia Serikova explores museums in her lecture “The Present as a ‘Musealium’: How Museums Depict Ongoing Wars”. For her doctoral thesis, she analysed photographs from exhibitions on the ongoing war in Ukraine. Through detailed observations, she highlights the risks that can arise for museums from the presentation of military objects and actions.

The third lecture on 10 June takes a more theoretical turn. In his lecture “Is Our Time Out of Joint? Derrida, 1989 and the Present”, Marcus Wystub examines the French philosopher Jacques Derrida’s thesis of the ‘end of history’. He also explores how current narratives of crisis – concerning climate catastrophe, the erosion of democracy and economic crisis – are fuelled by talk of a ‘correct’ course of history.

On 17 June, we then move into the era of the ‘noble knights’. In his lecture “‘The wars rose up against Breslau’ – How war was recounted in the 15th century”, Ole Bunte explores how medieval historians recounted war and what this tells us about medieval people’s conceptions of war.

The four lectures (in German) offer a brief insight into the academic research being conducted at the BGHS. As in previous years, however, the main focus will be on the exchange between the doctoral researchers and the audience at the VHS Bielefeld. Engaging lectures, insightful questions and lively discussions are intended to bring Bielefeld University and the city of Bielefeld a little closer together.

Welcome Day Summer Semester 2026

2026-04-16T09:09:06+02:00

Welcome Day Summer Semester 2026

::9 new doctoral researchers at the BGHS::

On Tuesday, 14 April, the BGHS Welcome Day for the summer semester 2026 took place. The BGHS director Ruth Ayaß welcomed the new doctoral researchers, who had the opportunity to introduce themselves and get to know the doctoral representatives and the BGHS office staff. Sabine Schäfer then introduced the BGHS training and study programme. We wish all new members a wonderful start to their doctorate at the BGHS.

The new BGHS doctoral researchers and their projects:

Phonesavanh Sitthideth (Sociology): Ethnographic Study on the financial activities of working households in Laos
Christopher Kuhlmann (History): Essoins as an indicator of commonality
Nikita Malinovskii (History): Partnerschaften und Unsicherheiten in der Ostseeregion. Riga, Reval und Dorpat im System des hansischen Handels mit Nowgorod vom 14. bis zum 17. Jahrhundert
Jel Cengiz (Sociology): Rassifizierung und Nationenbildung in der Türkei. Eine historisch-soziologische Analyse symbolischer Macht im Übergang vom Osmanischen Reich zur Republik
Jiarong Wu (Sociology): Managing Debt and Duty: Financial Practices of Urban Working Families in Urban China
Nora Meduri (Sociology): Zufußgehen. Beobachtungen einer urbanen Alltagspraxis im Kontext räumlicher Transformationsprozesse
Huyen Duong (Sociology): Navigating uncertainty: Financial household strategies of migrant workers in Vietnam
Linda Landwehr (Sociology): Solidarität als Pflichtfigur – Zur ideologischen Transformation des Solidaritätsbegriffs im liberalen Kapitalismus
Abu Faisal Md. Khaled (Sociology): Waiting, Risk, and Departure

You can find the Welcome Day presentation here.

BGHS on YouTube - First films of the film project are online

2026-04-16T08:48:44+02:00

BGHS on YouTube - First films of the film project are online

The BGHS has a YouTube channel! And the first videos are already online. They are films from the BGHS film project "On People and Things - Science in Conversation", which we carried out last year. In short films, doctoral researchers from the BGHS talk to Sabine Schäfer, executive manager of the BGHS, about their dissertation projects, everyday research work and their enthusiasm for science.

Iris Bartelt starts with her project on the International Labour Organization (ILO) followed by Lorena Albornoz, who is working on the Mapuche in Chile. The trailer gives a foretaste of the other films in the series, which will published frequently in the near future.

The BGHS has broken new ground with this project and cooperated with Filmhaus Bielefeld e.V. whose members Jörg Erber and Magnus Krenz brought the technical and creative know-how to the table and did a great job of staging the BGHS members.

You can find the playlist for the film series here. Have fun watching it!

Children, Employment, and PhD

2026-03-31T16:41:44+02:00

Children, Employment, and PhD

The new episode of the BGHS podcast “Chances and Challenges” is about how to juggle children, a doctorate and a career. Sabine Schäfer spoke to Sophie Borchelt, who has two primary school children, is doing her doctorate at the BGHS and works as the Coordinator for Internationalisation at the Faculty of Sociology. Sophie makes it clear that it's not always easy to reconcile all of this, but that it's worth it. Listen to the podcast here.

Career Pathways: Insights from BGHS Alumni into the cultural sector (Online)

2026-03-24T14:31:32+01:00

Career Pathways: Insights from BGHS Alumni into the Cultural Sector (Online)

What professional paths lead to research- and culture-oriented institutions such as muse-ums, libraries, or memorials? In this online event, three BGHS alumni will provide insights into their current fields of work, their career decisions, and the intersections between re-search, knowledge transfer, and the public sphere.

With

Dr. Christiane Heß (Plattenhaus Poppenbüttel Memorial)
Dr. Martin Breuer (German Digital Library)
Dr. Christian Möller (Bielefeld Historical Museum)
Torben Möbius (Staatsarchiv Leipzig)

Date & Time: April 23, 2:00 PM (s.t.)

Location: Online

Registration: by April 19, 2026, via email to bghs@uni-bielefeld.de The event will be held in German; questions and discussions in English are very welcome.

Developing as a researcher during PhD

2026-02-16T14:28:47+01:00

Developing as a researcher during PhD

In the new episode of the BGHS podcast “Chances and Challenges”, Sabine Schäfer talks to Thomas Faist, professor of sociology of transnationalisation, migration, and development, about transitions and developments of doctoral researchers during the PhD phase. They are dealing with issues such as the transition from student to researcher, the impact of different funding conditions of doctoral researchers on this development, and possible role conflicts. Listen to the podcast here.

Reden wir darüber – Forschung, Sprache, Gemeinschaft: A Successful Semester

2026-02-04T23:43:03+01:00

Reden wir darüber – Forschung, Sprache, Gemeinschaft: A Successful Semester

The Study Group "Reden wir darüber – Forschung, Sprache, Gemeinschaft" has successfully concluded! During the winter semester 2025/26, we created a space where seven international doctoral researchers not only learned German, but lived it.

What We Achieved

Throughout the semester, all seven participants presented their research projects in German and shared their experiences in a supportive, collegial atmosphere. The feedback demonstrates how valuable this experience was for everyone involved:

"Everyone in the group was very patient."

"The course leaders and fellow students who were stronger in German always supported me patiently, which significantly boosted my motivation. Moreover, it was very enriching to gain insights into different research projects and thus broaden my horizons."

"I would say that I really enjoyed the program. It was a wonderful opportunity to practice my German in a practical way and also to hear the ideas of my other colleagues at BGHS."

What Made This Study Group Special

What distinguished this group was its ease and mutual respect. In a relaxed atmosphere without performance pressure, all participants could grow – regardless of their language level. Mistakes were not only allowed but welcomed as part of the learning process.

We thank all seven doctoral researchers for their commitment, openness, and courage in presenting their research in German.

The Study Group "Reden wir darüber" has shown that language is not just a tool – it is a bridge between people, projects, and communities. We look forward to continuing this initiative!

Join Us Next Semester!

The Study Group "Reden wir darüber – Forschung, Sprache, Gemeinschaft" will continue next semester! We warmly invite all international doctoral researchers to join our group. Whether you're just beginning to learn German or already speak fluently – you are welcome! Come and be part of our growing community.

Non-academic careers in politics and political education

2026-01-29T07:55:24+01:00

Non-academic careers in politics and political education

On 22 January, the BGHS office held an online event on non-academic careers in politics and political education. Three BGHS alumni who work in these fields talked about their exciting work and their path into this professional field. The speakers were Franziska Wittau, head of the Thuringia State Agency for Political Education, Christian Ulbricht, head of the Regional Centre for Democratic Culture Vorpommern-Greifswald, and Simon Lange, parliamentary group leader of the CDU in the Bielefeld City Council. Above all, they provided valuable tips for doctoral researchers (and students) who are interested in these fields.

The advice could be summed up under the motto: Academia is not the (whole) world – even if it may seem that way when you are intensely focused on your doctoral research. However, it is not outside the world either, but the three alumni agreed that it is wise to broaden your horizons during your doctoral studies and read up on many different topics. This is because you may not have the time for this later in your professional life. Then it is important to be able to draw on a solid foundation of knowledge in order to quickly gain an overview of topics and make decisions.

Politics and political education always involve power games. However, the alumni encouraged us that this can be learned in everyday work. It is advantageous to find mentors or role models for support. Networking can also help find the way and get started in these professional fields. They recommend sticking the nose out of the bubble of university and the BGHS and orienting yourself outside during the doctorate. Gaining prior experience, for example by organising a workshop in the field of political education or finding a voluntary position, can help you start your career. This is because competition is fierce, especially for coveted positions in the civil service. Many positions are project-based at independent organisations and are therefore temporary and often not well paid. However, it can be worthwhile to take on such a position in order to gain professional experience and be at the forefront of the race for the next position that becomes available.

Don't be put off by these challenges, which are reminiscent of those in academia. The stories of Franziska, Christian and Simon show that these professional fields are definitely not boring and offer great opportunities for personal and socio-political development.

A historian’s view on PhD supervision, internationalization, and gender history

2026-01-20T08:18:24+01:00

A historian’s view on PhD supervision, internationalization, and gender history

The new episode of the BGHS podcast "Chances and Challenges" focusses on three topics: Doctoral supervision, internationalisation and gender history. Martina Kessel, Professor of Modern History and Gender History and former Vice Rector for Internationalisation and Communication at Bielefeld University, knows all three topics inside out and talks to Sabine Schäfer, executive manager of the BGHS, about what has changed in recent decades (and what hasn't) and what could be good steps for the future. Listen to the podcast here.

Paths into Non-Academic Careers – Insights into Politics and Political Education

2026-01-08T08:36:18+01:00

Paths into Non-Academic Careers – Insights into Politics and Political Education

When considering career paths after a doctorate, research and teaching are often the first things that come to mind. However, the expertise of PhD graduates is also highly sought after in other sectors—for instance in politics and political education. Many BGHS alumni have successfully stepped into these exciting fields, where they help shape social and political processes.

On 22 January 2026 at 2:00 p.m., three former BGHS members will share exclusive insights into their professional lives during the online event "Paths into Non-Academic Careers – Insights from BGHS Alumni into the Fields of Politics and Political Education." They will discuss their career trajectories, the challenges of entering the job market, and how they apply their academic skills in their current roles.

Our guests are:

Dr. Franziska Wittau, Head of Department at Landeszentrale für Politische Bildung Thüringen (State Agency for Civic Education)
Dr. Christian Ulbricht, Head of Regionalzentrums für demokratische Kultur Vorpommern-Greifswald (Regional Center for Democratic Culture Vorpommern-Greifswald)
Dr. Simon Lange, District Manager of the CDU Bielefeld

The discussion will cover topics such as how the transition from university to political practice can be successful, which expectations were met in the non-academic world, and what advice they can offer current doctoral researchers regarding their career planning.

The event will be held online, providing plenty of opportunity for questions and discussion. While the main language of the event is German, questions and contributions in English are very welcome.

Registration: If you wish to attend, please register by 18 January 2026 by sending an email to bghs@uni-bielefeld.de.

Workshop “Embodied Methods”

2025-12-18T07:52:46+01:00

Workshop “Embodied Methods”

On 14 and 15 January, the international workshop “Embodied methods: Revisiting archives and ethnography to understand gendered lived experiences” will take place at the BGHS. Participants will empirically explore innovative approaches to archival research and ethnography through decolonial, critical, and affective perspectives in three different laboratories. We will also discuss how to critically and creatively rethink traditional and well-established methods rooted in the Western canon. For this event, we are honored to host international researchers Dr. Paulina Ultreras (CIESAS-Occidente, Mexico), Dr. Jennie Gamlin (University College London, UK) and Prof. Dr. Francis Seeck (TH Nürnberg, Germany). Each of them will facilitate a laboratory, archival work, critical ethnography, and affective ethnography, respectively. The event will start with an open round table discussion where the visiting academics will reflect on the workshop’s topic. Following a small break, doctoral researchers will present their work and have the opportunity to discuss their materials in an interdisciplinary group. The participants represent a wide range of disciplines, including social work, literature studies, sports education, history, sociology and gender studies.

The workshop is organized by the BGHS members Itxaso Garcia and Raisa Ferrer, as well as Maren Lange and Sophie Halcour from the Interdisziplinäres Zentrum für Geschlechterforschung (IZG) in collaboration with the Center for InterAmerican Studies (CIAS). You find the programme here.

Quitting the PhD

2025-12-17T08:03:05+01:00

Quitting the PhD

The new episode of the BGHS podcast “Chances and Challenges” is about what it feels like to quit the PhD. Mariza Mathis, a former BGHS member, talks to Sabine Schäfer, executive manager of the BGHS, about the process she went through when she started to have doubts about doing a PhD and how she decided to quit and take up a job in science management. Listen to the podcast here.

BGHS Members‘ Meeting

2025-12-17T07:57:14+01:00

BGHS Members‘ Meeting

The BGHS Members’ meeting took place on 10 December. Sabine Schäfer gave a review of the activities that have taken place within the BGHS this year. The 20 completed doctorates were also honoured. The presentation of the annual review can be found here.
There were also previews of films from the BGHS film project "On People and Things – Science in Conversation", which was organised in cooperation with Filmhaus Bielefeld e.V.

In addition to the author Sabine Schäfer, some of the main actors were also present and celebrated, namely Iris Bartelt, Yixuan Liu, Paul Goerigk, Tiantian Li and Markus Buderath. Lorena Albornoz, Mariana Gomes and Christina Zschieschang could not be present. The release of the films is planned for the beginning of next year.

We wish you a Merry Christmas and a good start to the New Year!

Academic self-government during PhD

2025-11-19T15:02:32+01:00

Academic self-government during PhD

There is a new episode of the BGHS podcast "Chances and Challenges". It asks why it makes sense for doctoral researchers at German universities to be active in academic self-government. Firstly, academic self-government enables all members of the university to contribute their perspective to the institution's decision-making processes. And secondly, it helps to familiarise oneself with the structures and people at the institution, which can also promote an academic career. Sabine Schäfer, executive manager of the BGHS, talks to Oliver Flügel-Martinsen, Professor of Political Theory and Dean of the Faculty of Sociology at Bielefeld University, about this often underestimated topic. Listen to the podcast here.

Welcome Day Winter Semester 2025/26

2025-10-15T15:20:36+02:00

Welcome Day Winter Semester 2025/26

::7 new doctoral researchers at the BGHS::

On Tuesday, 14 October, the BGHS Welcome Day for the winter semester 2025/26 took place. The BGHS director Ruth Ayaß welcomed the new doctoral researchers, who had the opportunity to introduce themselves and get to know the doctoral representatives and the BGHS office staff. Sabine Schäfer then introduced the BGHS training and study programme. We wish all new members a wonderful start to their doctorate at the BGHS.

The new BGHS doctoral researchers and their projects:

Annika Duin (History): Post für die Vergangenheit. Briefe als Reaktionen auf antisemitische Gewalt 1945–1990

Sarah Frimpong (Sociology): Digital Financial Inclusion and Transnational Labour Markets: Nigerian Women in the Madina Market

Rachel Herfurth (Sociology): Untersuchung der Kompetenzen und Haltungen von HRSGe-Studierenden der Sozialwissenschaften im Umgang mit sozialer Ungleichheit in der sozialwissenschaftlichen Bildung

Franca Heuer (Sociology): Knowledge Production in Court: Judging Jihadist-Motivated Terrorism at German Higher Regional Courts

Laura Späth (Sociology): More Than Just Hair: An Ethnographic Exploration of the Journey of Hairpieces from China to Nigeria

Vrameswari Wati (Sociology): Exploring Pro-Gender Norms: The Discourse on Feminist Foreign Policy in Indonesia

Mario Wolf (Sociology): Measuring media political orientation in German local newspapers

You can find the Welcome Day presentation here.

Making of BGHS film project "On People and Things - Science in Conversation" #5

2025-10-09T08:17:08+02:00

Making of BGHS film project "On People and Things - Science in Conversation" #5

The BGHS film project has now reached the post-production phase. This means that most of the work now takes place at the desk and in the editing room. Magnus Krenz from Filmhaus Bielefeld e.V. has created transcripts of the raw material, i.e. the films that were shot, which Sabine Schäfer then edits. On the one hand, the aim is to shorten and on the other - and this is a creative pleasure - to work out the essential issues.

Sabine poring over a transcript (Photo: private)

Of course, we would prefer to show everything, but the films should not be longer than 10 to 12 minutes. So we have to choose. And that's not so easy, because we want to keep the content coherent and also show interesting and beautiful pictures. That's where Magnus comes in, who not only directed the camera but also edits the film.

Magnus and Sabine in the editing room of the Filmhaus Bielefeld e.V. (Photo: private)

Magnus has already produced great pictures while filming and has not only put the doctoral researchers but also Bielefeld University in the limelight. Editing is now about getting to know the researchers and bringing their research projects to life.

Making of BGHS film project "On People and Things - Science in Conversation" #4

2025-09-17T08:29:18+02:00

Making of BGHS film project "On People and Things - Science in Conversation" #4

On the fourth day of filming for the BGHS film project "On People and Things - Science in Conversation", Sabine Schäfer spoke to Mariana Gomes and Christina Zschieschang about their dissertation projects.

Sabine Schäfer, cameraman Magnus Krenz and Mariana Gomes (Photo: Jörg Erber)

Mariana Gomes spoke about her research project on the situation of Brazilian au pairs in Germany. Over the past few months, she has spent a lot of time with young Brazilian women in Brazil and Germany and talked to them about their expectations and experiences of working as an au pair.

Christina Zschieschang shows the imagined future (Photo: Jörg Erber)

Christina Zschieschang then took us into space, or more precisely, into deep space. She investigates what ideas about the future are being incorporated into plans to explore the moon and Mars and perhaps even beyond. And it turns out that these ideas in Europe and the USA on the one hand and Russia and China on the other are not as different as one might think given the political situation.

Unfortunately, that was the last day of filming. But the project is far from over. From now on, the work will take place at the desk and in the editing room.

Christina Zschieschang, Magnus Krenz and Sabine Schäfer having a lot of fun during the shoot (Photo: Jörg Erber)

Making of BGHS film project "On People and Things - Science in Conversation" #3

2025-08-06T11:01:42+02:00

Making of BGHS film project "On People and Things - Science in Conversation" #3

Selfie with bags: Jörg Erber and Magnus Krenz from Filmhaus Bielefeld e.V. approaching (Photo: Jörg Erber)

Shortly before the summer break, the third day of filming for the BGHS film project "Of People and Things - Science in Conversation" took place. And this time we were lucky with the weather and were able to stage the new entrance to the main university building.

Cameraman Magnus Krenz with Markus Buderath and Sabine Schäfer (Photo: Jörg Erber)

Markus Buderath talked very vividly about his research into the reform of the Scottish police force and the experiences he made during his field research in Scotland. His project deals with the exciting question of whether and how the police contribute to nation branding and thus become Scotland's figurehead. Perhaps the German police can also learn something from this ...

Sabine Schäfer in conversation with Tiantian Li (Photo: Jörg Erber)

The conversation with Tiantian Li then was about the big, wide world. Tiantian is working in a research project focussing on socio-political measures in times of ecological crises worldwide. She is currently collecting relevant documents and information from African and Latin American countries, thereby opening up a view of the achievements of the global South.

It was another super day of filming with exciting stories, great BGHS doctoral researchers and lots of fun!

Markus Buderath, Sabine Schäfer and Tiantian Li cheerful after work (Photo: Jörg Erber)