Yasemin Karakaşoğlu

Prof. Dr. phil. Yasemin Karakaşoğlu is Professor of Intercultural Education at the Faculty of Educational Sciences, University of Bremen, where she has served since October 2004. She currently holds the position of Dean of Department 12 (Educational Sciences) since November 2024, following previous leadership roles as Pro-Dean (2021-2024) and Vice President for International Affairs and Diversity (2011-2017).

Her academic background includes a Master of Arts in Turkic Studies, Modern German Literature, and Political Science (1991) from Hamburg and Ankara, and a PhD in Educational Science (1999) with a dissertation on Muslim religiosity and educational concepts among Turkish female students in Germany, which received the Augsburg Science Prize for Intercultural Studies in 2000. Her research formed the basis of expert testimony for the German Federal Constitutional Court regarding headscarf-wearing teacher trainees.

Prof. Karakaşoğlu's research focuses on intercultural education, migration studies, diversity management, and the intersection of religion and education. Her work critically examines educational systems in migration societies, with particular attention to gender, religious diversity, and integration policies. She employs postcolonial and intersectional frameworks to analyze power dynamics in educational settings, particularly regarding Muslim religiosity in German schools.

Her recent publications demonstrate a growing focus on transnational mobility in educational contexts, the experiences of exiled scholars in German academia, and teacher education in forced migration contexts. Her research consistently bridges theoretical frameworks with practical educational applications, addressing critical issues of equity and inclusion.

• Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany (2021)
• Bremen Diversity Personality 2014 / Bremen Diversity Prize 2014
• Honor for civil society engagement in migration and integration by Turkish Community in Germany (2008)
• Augsburg Science Prize for Intercultural Studies (2000)

Prof. Karakaşoğlu has led numerous significant research projects funded by organizations including the Volkswagen Foundation, Mercator Foundation, and German Federal Ministry of Education and Research. Her projects include 'Exiled Scholars,' 'Transnational Mobility in Schools,' and 'Educational Initiatives for the Preservation and Transfer of Cultural Capital in Migration Societies.' She has supervised numerous theses on migrant organizations, anti-discrimination education, and intercultural teacher education.

She actively participates in various academic and policy advisory boards, including the Scientific Advisory Board of DOMID, the Board of Trustees of the Freudenberg Foundation, and the Migration Council. Her work bridges academic research with practical policy recommendations for educational institutions in migration societies, making her a leading voice in Germany on educational responses to diversity and inclusion.