Sabine Schäfer

Sabine Schäfer serves as the Academic Director of the Bielefeld Graduate School in History and Sociology (BGHS) at Bielefeld University since 2013, with a formal affiliation as a co-opted member of the Faculty of Sociology. She also participates as a permanent guest on the Doctoral Committee and contributes to strategic planning, curriculum development, practical research, and gender & diversity initiatives.

Dr. Schäfer earned her doctorate in Sociology from the Technical University of Darmstadt in 2006. Her educational background includes an MA in Journalism and Communication Studies, Modern and Contemporary History, and English Philology from the University of Münster (1996).

Her research focuses on interdisciplinary approaches at the intersection of sociology, gender studies, and educational research. Her career demonstrates consistent engagement with gender mainstreaming in research policy, educational capabilities, and qualitative methodologies. Her work emphasizes practical applications of sociological theory in educational contexts and institutional development.

As Academic Director of BGHS, Dr. Schäfer oversees strategic planning and development, study programs, work reports, and networking initiatives. She previously served as Coordinating Scientist of the Research School Education and Capabilities (Educap) at Bielefeld University from 2008-2013.

Her professional journey includes significant research positions at the Technical University of Dortmund, where she worked on the DFG project 'Vision and Mission: The Integration of Gender into the Mainstream of European Research Policy' (2003-2005) and in the interdisciplinary research network 'Youth, School and Educational Research' (2005-2008). She also served as a research assistant in the Network for Women's and Gender Studies NRW (2001-2003) and as a research assistant for the Equal Opportunities Officer at the University of Münster (1999-2000).