Renate Bitzan

Renate Bitzan is a Professor of Social Sciences with a focus on Gender & Diversity at Nuremberg University of Applied Sciences, appointed in 2010. She holds organizational affiliation with the Faculty of Applied Social Sciences (AMP) while teaching across multiple faculties including Social Work, Business Administration, and Law. Her institutional roles include Academic Director of the Competence Center for Gender & Diversity (KomGeDi) since 2011, Women's Representative for the AMP Faculty, and Deputy University Women's Representative.

Education:

• Magister degree in Sociology and Politics at University of Kassel (basic studies in Sociology, Politics, History)
• Doctorate at University of Kassel
• Journalistic training at a print daily newspaper

Professor Bitzan's research centers on critical intersections of gender, diversity, and power structures. Her work examines gender dynamics in right-wing extremism, intersectional approaches to gender equality in universities, gender diversity in academic communication, and right-wing extremist influences on social work in Bavaria through the ForGeRex research network. She develops curricula addressing societal diversity through courses like 'Diversity Management from Business and Sociological Perspectives' and 'Gender Studies: Barbie, Ken and What Else Is Possible'.

Her institutional leadership spans anti-discrimination policy development including the 2017 Nuremberg University anti-discrimination policy and its 2024 update, participation in the 'Shaping Diversity' diversity audit (2015-2018) and re-audit (2021), and membership in the university's Core Team Diversity since 2022. She contributes to statewide gender equality through the Bavarian State Conference of Women's Representatives at Universities of Applied Sciences.

Teaching activities span BA Social Work (Political Science Fundamentals, Gender-Sensitive Concepts), MA Business Administration (Diversity Management), MA Business Law (Law and Sociology in Diversity Contexts), and cross-faculty electives including 'Dealing with Diversity Without Fear' and 'Migration and Integration in West German History'.