Social Sciences

The Käte Hamburger Centre for Global ­Cooperation Research started work in its new premises on Duisburg’s inner harbour in 2012 and promises to become a nucleus for research on the transformation of contemporary societies at the University of Duisburg-Essen.
At the Institute for Work, Skills and Training, a consortium research project that will span ­several years was launched in late 2012 and deals with “Innovative Social and Employment Policies for Inclusive and Resilient Labour Markets in Europe”. 13 partners from 12 countries will participate in this project. The research will focus on innovative social and employment policies designed to make labour markets less susceptible to the critical effects of structural breaks (for example in the context of the financial crisis).
In political public policy research, Professor Nicolai Dose in collaboration with project partners secured funding in 2012 for the “KIBA” project (“Municipal integration, employment and labour – intercultural opening, qualification and structural alignment of public administration, company and occupation”). The funding amounts to ­approximately 900,000 euros from the European Social Fund programme XENOS.
In an initiative of the Main Research Area “Transformation of Contemporary Societies”, members of the Institute of Sociology are part of the development of a research area focusing on transnational labour markets. In this context Professor Ingo Schulz-Schaeffer and Professor Karen Shire have both obtained research grants from the DFG for projects that focus on trans­national cooperation in software development (Schulz-Schaeffer) and the constitution of transnational markets for temporary employment (Shire). More DFG proposals are currently being drafted. The aim is to create a research context of five or six DGF projects.