Rolf Werning has been a professor at the Institute of Special Education since 1997, initially in the field of “Education for Students with Learning Disabilities,” and since 2017 as a professor of “Inclusive School Development.” During this time, he has made numerous contributions and provided important impetus for the further development of special education, and has shaped the academic and organizational work of the institute. The faculty also benefited from his strategic and systemic perspective on organizations, particularly during his terms as Dean of Studies for the Department of Educational Sciences (2004–2005) and as Dean of the Faculty of Humanities (2009–2011).
As a highly respected special education expert, Rolf Werning also made an impact beyond Hannover and was, among other things, a regular member of various expert commissions on the reform of teacher training (including in North Rhine-Westphalia, Berlin, and Baden-Württemberg). Internationally as well, Rolf Werning has left a lasting impression through numerous teaching assignments and visiting professorships (including at the University of Teacher Education Northwestern Switzerland and the universities of Stanford (USA), Kyoto (Japan), and Istanbul (Turkey)).
This broad and lasting impact of Rolf Werning was impressively evident at his farewell event in the diverse contributions from his colleagues and companions from Hanover, Germany, and Switzerland. The faculty leadership extends its heartfelt thanks to Prof. Dr. Rolf Werning for his nearly thirty years of service at and for the Faculty of Humanities. We wish him all the best and a stimulating and fulfilling post-retirement life!