Saskia Schuppener

Saskia Schuppener is Professor and Director of the Institute of Special Education at the University of Leipzig since June 2007, holding a W3 professorship in Inclusive Educational Processes. Her work critically intersects disability studies, educational policy, and social justice frameworks within German and international contexts.

Education:

• Diploma in Education (Therapeutic and Special Education focus), Justus Liebig University Giessen (1995-2000)
• Diploma in Psychology, Justus Liebig University Giessen (1995-2000)
• Special Education Teaching Certification, Justus Liebig University Giessen (1995-2000)
• Doctorate, Justus Liebig University Giessen (2000), Dissertation: "Self-concept and creativity of people with intellectual disabilities"

Her research centers on dismantling exclusionary practices through critical educational science, with core emphases on inclusive school/university development, easy language accessibility, and challenging behavior frameworks for people with intellectual disabilities. Methodologically grounded in participatory and inclusive research, she employs qualitative-reconstructive approaches to center marginalized perspectives in knowledge production while critiquing ableist power structures.

Recent publications (2022-2023) demonstrate cohesive thematic evolution toward institutional transformation, examining contradictions in academic knowledge production for inclusion, social responsibility in higher education sustainability, and human rights frameworks through interdisciplinary lenses. These works consistently prioritize accessible communication (including easy language formats) and participatory methodologies to advance structural inclusion.