معرفی
Prof. Dr. Karin E. Sauer is a Professor of Social Work at the Faculty of Social Work at Baden-Württemberg Cooperative State University Villingen-Schwenningen. She has been teaching at the university since 2009 and has held leadership positions including Head of the Social Work - People with Disabilities program (2013-2018) and Academic Director of the Master's program Social Work in the Migration Society at CAS Heilbronn (2016-2018). She also teaches in the Master's program Cultural Diversity in Music Education at the University of Hildesheim since 2018.
Her educational background includes:
- Diploma in Educational Science from Universität Tübingen (1993-1999)
- Doctoral studies in the research project "Integration of Children in Baden-Württemberg and California" (2004-2006)
- Postdoc project "Paths of Integration in the Education Process" in Southern Brazil (2006-2007)
- Master in Diversity Education
- Community Music Facilitator Certificate from the State Music Academy NRW (2024)
Prof. Sauer's research focuses on Social Work in post-conflict societies, with particular attention to Germany-Rwanda connections. Her work spans Gender & Diversity studies, Disability Studies, Cultural Studies, and Community Music as communication forms. She examines inclusion-exclusion dynamics in migration societies and explores socialization processes from intercultural perspectives. Her research often incorporates Paulo Freire's pedagogy of liberation and emphasizes participatory approaches to knowledge production.
Her recent publications reveal a strong focus on memory work in post-conflict societies, particularly examining German and Rwandan contexts. She explores how arts-based methodologies, especially community music, can facilitate social inclusion and healing processes. Her work consistently addresses intersectional approaches to gender, disability, and migration, with increasing attention to climate justice and ecological transformation in social work practice. The geographical scope of her research spans Germany, Rwanda, Burundi, and the broader Great Lakes region of Africa.
Prof. Sauer is actively involved in several professional networks including the Network for Racism-Critical Migration Education Baden-Württemberg, the German Society for Social Work Research Network FIRE (Female International REsearch), and the DGSA Working Group on Climate Justice and Socio-Ecological Transformation in Social Work. She has collaborated extensively with African researchers and practitioners, particularly from Rwanda, on memory work and peacebuilding initiatives.
Her work demonstrates a commitment to decolonial and regenerative practices, with recent projects focusing on "Blumen der Versöhnung" (Flowers of Reconciliation) in post-genocide Rwanda. She integrates community music approaches with social work practice, developing innovative pedagogical formats that address diversity and inclusion in higher education settings.
