We are very pleased to welcome Prof. Dr. Ulrike Fickler-Stang, an internationally recognized expert in the fields of juvenile delinquency, educational organizational development, and multiprofessional collaboration for children and adolescents at risk.
In addition to her many years of academic work, Ms. Fickler-Stang has a wide range of practical professional experience, which impressively demonstrates her keen interest in combining university research and teaching with practice-oriented activities and topics. After completing vocational training as a paramedic, Prof. Fickler-Stang initially studied history and special education, focusing on the education of students with behavioral disorders and learning disabilities, before going on to work for several years as a freelancer in school and extracurricular settings, in continuing education, and in outpatient youth services. Since 2010, she has worked part-time providing case consultation to professionals in educational and therapeutic settings on how to address deviant behavior in children, adolescents, and adults; since 2016, she has also served as an instructor at the Judicial Education Academy. During this time, she remained actively engaged in academic research and earned her Ph.D. in 2018 with the dissertation “Antisocial Children and Adolescents—Misunderstood and Incomprehensible? Early Contributions of Psychoanalytic Pedagogy and Their Current Significance,” at HU Berlin, where she worked as a research associate at the Institute for Rehabilitation Sciences until her move to Leibniz University.
The Faculty of Humanities is very much looking forward to collaborating with Prof. Dr. Ulrike Fickler-Stang and to her scholarly contributions at the Institute of Special Education.
Two Questions for Prof. Dr. Ulrike Fickler-Stang
My current research topics in three sentences:
My research focuses, among other things, on the question of how educational practice can be shaped under challenging institutional and societal conditions—particularly in the tension between coercion and boundary-setting, relationships and punitive tendencies, and participation and inclusion. Another focus is on the professional development of educational professionals, as well as on the effects of crises, poverty, and social inequality on the psychosocial development and educational participation of children, adolescents, and young adults. In addition, I collaborate with colleagues from various countries on international projects examining educational practices and conditions in institutional contexts, particularly in juvenile correctional facilities.
In my teaching, I place particular importance on:
In my teaching, I place particular importance on not only supporting students in acquiring subject-specific knowledge but also guiding them on their path toward reflective and responsible pedagogical professionalism. For me, this includes intensive work on concrete cases, dialogue, and shared reflection, as well as a close integration of theory, research, and pedagogical practice. Students should learn to navigate complex and even contradictory situations, to incorporate different perspectives, and to make well-reasoned professional decisions. I view the university as a place where curiosity, critical thinking, and participation are expressly encouraged.