Her stay is being funded by the German Academic Exchange Service’s (DAAD) Visiting Professorship Program, which strengthens the internationalisation of German higher education institutions. “I believe in cultural exchange,” says Karen Adkins. When she was a student, she never had the chance to study abroad for a longer period of time. That is why she is especially appreciative of the opportunity she has now been given to live and teach in Germany for several months. The decisive factor for her application for a visiting professorship was her long-term collaboration with Katrin Horn, Professor of Gender Studies in Greifswald.
During her stay, Adkins has taught seminars in the fields of American Cultural Studies and Gender Studies. In her classes, she drew connections between historical, philosophical, and socio-political issues – from American history to feminist theory and forms of social knowledge. The philosophy scholar thinks academia should not only analyse social developments, it should also open up new perspectives and approaches.
New perspectives for teaching and research
Adkins is particularly impressed by the broad mix of international students and a culture of free and open debate at the University of Greifswald. The exchange with students and colleagues from various countries not only enrich her seminars, but will also have a lasting impact on her teaching in the future. “My classes will be different after my stay here,” she says.
Alongside her teaching, Adkins contributes to several research projects and presents her work at international conferences. Her areas of research interest lie e.g. in feminist epistemology, forms of social knowledge, and the philosophy of emotions. Furthermore, she has volunteered for many years on the board of The Blue Bench in Denver, a sexual assault prevention and survivor support centre. Adkins shared some of the experience she has gained in this role in a presentation and subsequent discussion round held at the University of Greifswald during her stay.
Further information
The DAAD's Visiting Professorship Program funds international lecturers’ periods of teaching at German universities. The goal is to strengthen the internationalisation of universities and foster international perspectives in research and teaching.
The detailed article on Prof. Dr. Karen Adkins and her time as a DAAD visiting professor at the University of Greifswald is available in German in the University’s magazine Campus*1456.
Contacts at the University of Greifswald
Prof. Dr. Karen Adkins
Department of British and North American Studies
Ernst-Lohmeyer-Platz 3, 17489 Greifswald
Tel: +49 3834 420 3356
karen.adkinsuni-greifswaldde
Prof. Dr. Katrin Horn
Department of British and North American Studies
Ernst-Lohmeyer-Platz 3, 17489 Greifswald
Tel: +49 3834 420 3369
katrin.hornuni-greifswaldde