معرفی
Professor Stefanie Sauer is a Professor of Social Work Methods at the Protestant University of Applied Sciences Berlin (EHB). With extensive practical experience as both a social worker and social pedagogue, she emphasizes the transfer of theory into practice in her academic work. Her institutional affiliation includes significant collaborations such as the research partnership with Vietnam-Japan University on ethnic minorities in northern Vietnam.
Professor Sauer's research focuses on the situation of parents and children in diverse family structures, particularly unconventional families including foster and adoptive families, step- and patchwork families, single-parent families, and rainbow families. She investigates how children in challenging life situations develop into self-reliant individuals and the conditions necessary for successful identity development when children don't grow up solely with their biological parents. Her work examines how families navigate conflicting societal demands and the professional support required in these contexts.
Her most significant research project, 'Progress of international adoptions' (2011-2016), addressed critical gaps in understanding international adoption outcomes in Germany. This work has led to numerous international presentations and has informed both academic understanding and professional practice in adoption services. Professor Sauer regularly works as a consultant and trainer, bridging her academic research with practical social work applications.
Her scientific contributions include:
- Research on identity development in international adoptees
- Studies on intercultural competence in adoption placement
- Analysis of secure parent-child relationships in adoptive families
- Examination of cultural diversity in family formation
- Professionalization of social work practices with unconventional families
Professor Sauer actively engages with professional communities through presentations at major conferences including the European Society on Family Relations and international conferences in Hong Kong. Her work connects academic research with practical social work applications, particularly in supporting diverse family structures and improving adoption practices.
