It all began with Wonder and Curiosity

The wish to know not only about the Hellenes, but also about the Persians, not only about the Romans, but also about the Carthaginians. This was followed by a trip to Egypt lasting several weeks, which made me into a nicer person. A stay of several months in Southern Africa and apartheid, which made me dream of another world, trips to film festivals and authors in Western Africa, and then the decision: My profession would center around the analysis and interpretation of African literatures.

 

 

Curriculum Vitae

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December 2018
Appointment as Extraordinary Professor at the University of Heidelberg

2015
Mannheimer Morgen, Editorial Coordinator, Desk Editor Politics and “Welt und Wissen” [World and Knowledge]

2014
Lecturership at the University of Mannheim, Media Studies

2013
Editor of the Horlemann Africa Series

2012
Liaison Lecturer of the Hans Böckler Foundation

2011
Lecturer as the University of Saarbrücken, Romanic Cultural Studies

2010
Management Program “Pathway to Professorship”
Part of the Excellence Initiative of the University of Heidelberg

2010
Privatdozent [Associate Professor] at the University of Heidelberg, English Department

May 2010
Habilitation at the University of Heidelberg, Faculty of Modern Languages
Venia legendi for African literatures in the English language

2009-2010
Lecturer at the University of Mainz, Institute for Africa Studies

2008-2010
Lecturer at the University of Heidelberg, English Faculty

2008-2009
Member of the Board at Litprom, Society for the Promotion of Literature from Africa, Asia and Latin America

2008
Baden-Württemberg Certificate for University Didactics

2006-2009
Lecturer at the University of Mannheim, German Faculty

2007
Research trip with Terre des Hommes to Burkina Faso

2006
Research trip with Plan International to Kenia

2005-2015
Mannheimer Morgen, Editor in the Senior Duty Editor Department for Travel and Science

2004
Research trip with Plan International to Burkina Faso and Mali

2003-2005
As a Hans-Böckler-Stiftung scholar, Ph.D. and Lectureship at the University of Bayreuth in Comparative Literature in the Romance Studies Faculty, summa cum laude

1997
On behalf of the Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung, evaluation of projects to promote reading in Nigeria and Mali

1995-1996
Free journalist for the German language edition of the French magazine Africa international

1990-2003
Mannheimer Morgen, Journalist in the media section

1988-1990
Fränkische Nachrichten, Tauberbischofsheim and Buchen, Journalism Trainee

1987-1988
Nürnberger Nachrichten, Freelance Employee

1979-1987
Studies of German Literature and Language, Rhetoric and Philosophy at the Universities of Tübingen, Wien, Basel and Berlin (FU)

1979
Abitur at the Gymnasium Leopoldinum in Passau