Prof. Dr. Yasemin Karakaşoğlu
Since October 2004 Professor at the Faculty of Education and Educational Sciences, Head of the Department of Intercultural Education
"In 50 years' time, the University of Bremen should be experienced as an exciting, inspiring and at the same time authentic place that is both closely connected to the city in research and teaching and also conveys critical, world-social perspectives."
The fact that there are women who break through the "glass ceiling" and still manage to retain their authenticity, passion and humour - Yasemin Karakaşoğlu is a convincing and optimistic protagonist. Since 2004, she has been teaching and researching as a professor of intercultural education in the field of general education (a newly established professorship at the time), is represented as a member and advisor in numerous academic advisory boards and committees, for example since 2016 as a member of the DAAD board, but is also active in a political advisory capacity, for example in 2013 at the federal level as a (non-party) education expert in Peer Steinbrück's competence team. From 2011-2017, as the first Vice-Rector for Internationality and Diversity at the University of Bremen, she set the decisive course for shaping a university that should enable innovative science and teaching that is equal opportunity, responsible and oriented towards people's needs.
When she thinks of the University of Bremen today, she - as always - openly expresses her opinion in thoroughly ambivalent associations: The enthusiasm for the "openness in the (rather brittle) architecture and in thinking", she juxtaposes with a regretful "unfortunately underfunded, therefore not equipped according to the needs"; the pride in the "left-wing tradition" with the observation that in the meantime it is "too much driven from the outside". However, she is optimistic about the future: in 50 years, the University of Bremen will be one of the established universities in the world, shaping its teaching beyond the borders of Germany with the participation of teachers from all over the world.
Fifty years ago, she lived with her parents in Mainz Finthen, had just started school and loved to play in the office of her mother, who worked at the university as a secretary for a gemstone researcher, with the semi-precious stones that were stored there as research objects.
In her free time, she is passionate about partying and dancing, whether on professional occasions (at international culture nights among the students as well as at official events with the VIPs of university and education politics) or privately with her family and friends, baking cakes, reading (crime) novels and loves the sea - especially on a sailing boat in the Turkish Aegean.