Two members of our have been honoured. Sociologist Anna-Katharina Hornidge and German Studies scholar Claudia Wich-Reif have been elected as full members of the North Rhine-Westphalian Academy of Sciences and Arts. Financial market economist Hendrik Hakenes has also been admitted as a new member. What unites all three is their focus on change - one of the central topics of our time.
Social Transformation and Change
The Academy honours Anna-Katharina Hornidge, Director of the German Institute of Development and Sustainability (IDOS, formerly the German Development Institute (DIE)) and Professor of Global Sustainable Development, for her work on the creation, dissemination and application of knowledge in processes of social transformation. Her research focuses on sustainable development and governance, exploring how diverse forms of knowledge can tackle ecological, social, political and economic challenges, with a particular focus on regions in Africa, South-East Asia and Central Asia.
Language in Transition: Research and Preservation
Claudia Wich-Reif, Professor of the History of the German Language and Linguistic Variation, and Director of the Centre for Rhenish Language Research, is one of the leading figures in historical linguistics and regional language research. Her research covers language change, historical syntax, and the documentation and analysis of regional language forms. She is currently focusing on researching and digitally preserving the dialects of North Rhine-Westphalia as part of the region’s cultural heritage.
Membership of one of Germany’s most prestigious academies of science
The North Rhine-Westphalian Academy of Sciences and Arts unites eminent figures from science and the arts, promoting interdisciplinary dialogue with society, politics, and culture. The Academy only admits researchers and artists who have achieved distinction through exceptional scientific or artistic work. The election of two female professors from the Faculty of Arts highlights the high profile and academic excellence of their disciplines, as well as the breadth of humanities and social sciences research at the University of Bonn, which goes far beyond the faculty itself.