Fulda and Kassel universities establish research alliance

The presidents of Fulda University of Applied Sciences, Prof. Dr. Karim Khakzar, and the University of Kassel, Prof. Dr. Rolf-Dieter Postlep, signed an agreement to this effect on Wednesday, June 26, 2013, at the Federal Social Court in Kassel. The alliance promotes joint research on aspects of social law and social policy, as well as joint teaching, the promotion of young researchers and the transfer of knowledge in this field.

"Research now also has a high priority at universities of applied sciences. Networking with other universities and research institutions as well as partners from practice is extremely important to us," emphasized Khakzar, the university president from Fulda. "For years, we have been practicing a very successful partnership on an equal footing with the University of Kassel in the areas of teaching, research and young scientists. I am pleased that the good cooperation in the field of social policy and social law will now become even more visible through the research association."

Kassel University President Postlep added: "Outstanding research in social policy theory and social law currently takes place mainly at non-university research institutions. If, as it is occasionally said with reference to the Federal Social Court, Kassel is the 'capital of social law,' this profile will now be expanded in scientific terms by the new research association, which will be dedicated to current future issues of social policy and social law."

At the University of Applied Sciences in Fulda and at the University of Kassel, numerous scientists teach and conduct research in the fields of social law and social policy. At the same time, the administrative district of Kassel is home to many actors in social policy and social law with state and national significance. The remarkable density of scientists interested in social law and social policy in the region, as well as the large number of institutions and companies located here with relevant fields of activity, led to the bundling of existing interests and competencies. The research association of the universities of Kassel and Fulda will investigate socio-legal and socio-political issues with legal and social science competence. In addition, there will be close feedback with the actors in social policy and social law. Both represent a unique selling point in the research landscape. To this end, an association has already been founded, in which representatives from academia, the church, the judiciary, trade unions and welfare organizations, among others, are members. It is intended to promote the research association and support the transfer of knowledge.

The Research Network for Social Law and Social Policy (FoSS) involves, on the part of the University of Kassel, in particular the departments of Human Sciences, Social Sciences and Economics, and on the part of the University of Applied Sciences Fulda, the departments of Nursing and Health, Social and Cultural Sciences and Social Work. The professional work is carried out in eight groups, divided according to subject and cross-sectional topics, in which scientists from both universities and from different disciplines are represented. They work on the fields: Working Life and Livelihood (including old-age provision and pensions); Childhood, Youth and Family; Health and Care; Health, Care and Social Professions; Participation Research; Social Human Rights; Welfare State Infrastructure and Service Delivery; and Gender and Migration. The groups each operate in the four fields of research, teaching, promotion of young researchers, and knowledge transfer. The spectrum ranges from a comparative study of children's lifeworlds in Fulda and Kassel to a lecture series on "Social Law and Social Policy in Jurisprudence and Science" in cooperation with the Federal Social Court to exchanges between academics and trade unionists on topics such as the future of old-age provision. The lecture series in cooperation with the Federal Social Court had previously been organized in a different framework and celebrated its tenth anniversary on Wednesday.

The two universities already work closely together, and in July 2005 they concluded a cooperation agreement to this end. Thus there are the three university-spreading master courses of studies "pedagogy for care and health occupations", "social right and social economy" and "international Food Business & Consumer Studies", in addition common research projects, for instance in the context of the recently expired climate adaptation network KLIMZUG north Hessen. There is also already cooperation on the research topic of social law and social policy, which is now being more formalized. For graduates of Fulda University of Applied Sciences, the University of Kassel is also a partner in cooperative doctoral programs.

Contact:

Mathias Lomb

Coordinator of the Research Network for Social Law and Social Policy (FoSS)
of Fulda University of Applied Sciences and the University of Kassel

Tel.: 0561-8043933 (Kassel office) or 0661-96406417 (Fulda office)

E-mail: mathias.lomb[at]sozialrecht-sozialpolitik[dot]de
Homepage: http://www.sozialrecht-sozialpolitik.de