Birgit Geipel

Birgit Geipel is a Lecturer (Akademische Rätin) and MA Program Director at the Department of Korean Studies, Institute of Asian and Oriental Studies, Faculty of Humanities, University of Tübingen. She holds a Ph.D. in Comparative Literature from the University of California, Riverside, and an M.A. from Ludwig-Maximilians-University, Munich.

• Ph.D. in Comparative Literature, University of California, Riverside (2011–2017)
• M.A. in Literary Theory and Comparative Literature, Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich (2003–2009)
• Visiting Researcher, Seoul National University (2010–2011)
• Erasmus Mundus Fellow, Free University of Berlin (2016–2017)

Her research centers on literary and cinematic discourses of national division and reunification in Korea and Germany, with a strong focus on women's literature, feminism, and transnational themes in contemporary South Korean writing. She also investigates the cultural expressions of the Korean diaspora in Europe and the USA. Her work bridges German and Korean literary traditions, exploring identity, borders, and memory in divided societies.

The recent publications reflect a consistent engagement with comparative literary analysis, particularly focusing on Cold War ideologies, unification narratives, and the role of individual agency in politically divided contexts. Her work increasingly emphasizes feminist perspectives and transnational identities in contemporary Korean literature.

She has received multiple LTI Korea Grants for translation workshops and co-organized the International Winter School 2019 on border discourses. These projects highlight her role in fostering international academic collaboration and literary exchange between Korea and Germany.

• LTI Korea Grant: Translation Workshop 2024 (Baik Sou-Linne)
• LTI Korea Grant: Translation Workshop 2022 (Park Min-jung)
• LTI Korea Grant: Translation Workshop 2021 (Kang Hwagil)
• LTI Korea Grant: Translation Workshop 2020 (Choi Eunyoung)
• Exzellenzinitiative: International Winter School 2019

Birgit Geipel actively participates in academic discourse through conference presentations and guest lectures at institutions such as Duke University, Cornell University, and Sapienza University of Rome. She has hosted author readings with prominent Korean writers, contributing to cultural outreach and literary translation initiatives at the University of Tübingen. She has no listed scientific awards.

She leads the MA program in Korean Studies and teaches courses including Introduction to Korean Culture, Women's Literature, North Korean Literature, and Literary Translation. Her office hours are held in person during the semester. She is not listed as part of any formal lab or research team, but her collaborative projects indicate strong interdisciplinary and international networks.