Karsten Hank

Karsten Hank is a Full Professor of Sociology at the University of Cologne's Faculty of Management, Economics and Social Sciences, where he leads research in demographic transitions and aging processes. He concurrently serves as a DIW Berlin Fellow for the German Socio-Economic Panel Study and holds fellowships at the Federal Institute for Population Research (BiB) and the Max Planck Institute for Social Law and Social Policy.

Education:

• Habilitation in Sociology, University of Mannheim (2006)
• PhD in Sociology, University of Rostock (2002)
• Diplom-Sozialwissenschaftler, University of Bochum (1998)

His research examines longitudinal demographic shifts, intergenerational family dynamics, and aging in European contexts, with methodological expertise in large-scale panel surveys. Current projects include FReDA (Family Research and Demographic Analysis), investigating demographic trends through linked socio-economic and biomarker data, and pairfam (Panel Analysis of Intimate Relationships and Family Dynamics), analyzing relationship formation across 15 European countries.

Professional Leadership:

• Scientific Advisory Board, European Social Survey (2020-2025)
• Editorial Board, Journal of Gerontology: Social Sciences (2018-present)
• Chairman of Scientific Advisory Board, German Center of Gerontology (2013-2022)

Hank directs major collaborative initiatives funded by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research and Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft, focusing on aging policy implications and family structure transformations. His advisory roles span national statistical institutes and European research infrastructures, emphasizing data harmonization for cross-national demographic studies.