Bergische Universität Wuppertal
Gaußstr. 20
42119 Wuppertal
Phone: +49 202 439-3757
hartung@uni-wuppertal.de
AOR Dr. Klaus Feldmann
Academic Lecture
Philosophy of Education
Department of Philosophy
Bergische Universität Wuppertal
Gaußstr. 20
42119 Wuppertal
Phone: +49 202 439-3699
klaus.feldmann@uni-wuppertal.de
The University of Wuppertal offers a wide range of subjects in nine faculties, including disciplines and courses in over 150 subjects that are not offered at any other university in Germany, such as safety engineering or industrial design. At the same time, teacher training for all types of schools and bilingual teaching with a wide range of subjects is a central element of the university structure. Interdisciplinarity, the ability to innovate and team spirit characterize teaching and research. The university’s numerous successes are reflected in good ranking results, among other things. Good supervision ratios and a wide range of services and support offers for students and researchers set the University of Wuppertal apart from large mass universities and lead to high student demand. With around 260 professorships and approximately 3,400 employees, the University of Wuppertal is a university at the heart of Europe. More than 220 partner universities worldwide form its international network. Regional cooperation focuses are located in Asia, Latin America and the USA. The international collaborations not only promote the exchange of students and lecturers, but also joint research projects at department and faculty level. The university is a popular place to study for international students, with more than 110 nations represented here. In addition to its international visibility and networking, the university is also firmly anchored in the region. Through active knowledge transfer and intensive cooperation with numerous partners in business and society, it has an excellent regional network from which graduates and academics as well as innovators and start-ups benefit.
The Department of Philosophy, where the proposed project is based, is part of the Faculty of Humanities and Cultural Studies. It consists of four professorships focusing on the philosophy of science (Anna Leuschner), practical philosophy (Eva Buddeberg), theoretical philosophy and phenomenology (Alexander Schnell) and cultural philosophy and aesthetics (Gerald Hartung); there is also a didactics of philosophy department (Klaus Feldmann). In addition to a lecturer for special tasks in the area of the introductory phase of studies, a mentor for advising and guiding students as well as employees of the individual professorships, there are several private lecturers and adjunct professors who are involved in research and teaching and contribute to the work of the department. The teaching staff of the Department of Philosophy are involved in numerous research and publication activities, as well as networking with other universities and non-university partners.
Various research institutions have emerged from the work areas of the different professorships: The Chair of Philosophy of Science is linked to the Interdisciplinary Center for the History of Science and Technology Studies (IZWT). Participants from the History, Political Science, Physics and Mathematics departments conduct interdisciplinary research and teaching on issues relating to the self-image of science. The Institute for Transcendental Philosophy and Phenomenology, which organizes conferences, seminars and workshops and coordinates international research in these areas, is based at the Chair of Theoretical Philosophy. Finally, the Institute for Basic Research on the History of Philosophy (IGP) is linked to the Department of Cultural Philosophy and focuses on work on the Grundriss der Geschichte der Philosophie, a global history of philosophy with more than fifty volumes, in which researchers worldwide are involved, and the Interdisciplinary Centre for Edition and Document Studies (IZED), which represents a unique combination of research in the humanities and media technology in Germany.
The applicants are both members of the Department of Philosophy at the University of Wuppertal. Prof. Gerald Hartung is head of the Department of Cultural Philosophy and Aesthetics and already organizes high-profile series of events in conjunction with cultural institutions in the city of Wuppertal (Von der Heydt Museum, City Church, Climate Institute, Zoo). Gerald Hartung’s work on the complete edition of the Grundriss der Philosophie, which takes on global dimensions and touches on all cultural spheres, requires constant intercultural reflection both at the level of communication with different research communities and at the level of understanding the content of the objects of research. A self-assurance of the intercultural position is indispensable for everyday research work.
Dr. Klaus Feldmann works as a senior academic advisor in the field of didactics of philosophy and philosophy of education and has led a think tank project funded by the Robert Bosch Foundation, in which students and pupils from project courses at three local schools took part. Workshops, lectures and seminars were organized in joint work on questions of natural philosophy. The project was guided by the educational idea of initiating philosophical educational processes between pupils and students on the one hand and giving pupils the opportunity to present their research and work products to the public on the other. As part of his teaching activities, heterogeneity and different cultural backgrounds in the context of the education system in general and philosophy teaching in particular in Germany are regularly addressed and made the subject of philosophical reflection on education, and perspectives on the contribution of philosophy to a democratically pluralistic society are discussed with the students.
The applicants regularly organize seminars together, most recently last summer term on the topic of diversity and criticism of racism. The diversity of the students and their multi-ethnic roots have become very clear in all the events held so far. Their respective views of the world are shaped by different backgrounds and biographical contexts. At the same time, the role of philosophical education and its orientation function is repeatedly questioned in the context of university education and the potential contribution of academic philosophy to an intercultural discourse is called for.
In addition to these individual activities and experiences, the structure of the university offers further relevant features: The Center for Information and Media Processing (ZIM) is available at the University of Wuppertal for working with and producing audiovisual materials. The ZIM provides both technical equipment and know-how for the production of videos, podcasts and other digital products for university members. The applicants will connect to these structures and create publicly accessible materials on the issue of interculturality and education from a philosophical perspective.