Prof. Karen Shire (Ph. D.)

Biography

1986 - 1990: Ph. D. University of Wisconsin-Madison, Department of Sociology with a focus on Social Organisation, Class Analysis and Historical Change, Political Sociology, Industrial Relations Dissertation on the topic of Comparative Industrial Relations in Germany and Austria
1984 - 1986: Exchange student at the Technischen Universität Hannover, completion of Ph.D. minor study in German politics and history
1982 - 1984: M. A. Degree University of Wisconsin-Madison, Department of Sociology with a focus on Social Organisation, Masters Thesis on the topic of ethnicity and inequality in elementary schools
1977 - 1981: B. A. Degree Boston College, double major in Sociology and Political Science

2008 - 2012: Visiting Professor, School of East Asian Studies, University of Sheffield, UK
10/2007 - 2/2008: Fellow at the Hanse Institute for Advanced Studies, Delmenhorst
4/2006 - 9/2006: Fellow at the Hanse Institute for Advanced Studies, Delmenhorst
since 2005: W3 Professor for Comparative Sociology and Japanese Studies, Duisburg-Essen University
4/2003 - 9/2003: Guest Researcher, Max-Planck Institut for the Study of Societies, Cologne Germany
8/2002 - 11/2002: Guest Professor, Institute of Social Sciences, University of Tokyo, Japan
4/1999 - 3/2005: University Professor (C3) in Sociology and Japanese Studies, Gerhard-Mercator Universität Duisburg, Germany
1994 - 1997: Research Fellow, Centre for Corporate Change, Australian Graduate School of Management, University of New South Wales (International Knowledge Worker Project)
4/1996 - 1999: Associate Professor and Graduate School Professor (with tenure) of Sociology with a focus on the Sociology of Work, Political Sociology and Comparative Sociology, International Christian University, Tokyo, Japan
3/1991/1996: Assistant Professor of Sociology with a focus on the Sociology of Work, Political Sociology and Comparative Sociology, International Christian University, Tokyo, Japan
1986 - 1988: DAAD Fellowship for doctoral research on Economic Democracy in Germany and Austria
1984 - 1986: Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung Fellowship for doctoral preparation study

since 2006: Editorial Board "Japan Aktuell" (Publikation of the German Institute of Global Area Studies), Hamburg
since 2005: Editorial Board "Japanstudien" (Publikation "Deutsches Institut für Japanstudien") Tokio, Japan
since 4/2005: Editorial Board, ARBEIT (German Journal of the Sociology of Work)
since 2004: Advisory Board and Vice-Chairperson, Bremen International Graduate School of Social Sciences, University of Bremen (supported as the German Center of Excellence)
since 2004: Affiliated Professor (Vertrauensdozentin) of the Hans-Boeckler Foundation
since 2004: Advisory Board, German Institut for Japanese Studies, DIJ (Deutsches Geisteswissenschaftliches Institut im Ausland DGIA) Tokio, Japan
since 2003: Board of Directors, German Association of Social Science Research on Japan (VSJF)
2001 - 2005: Co-chair, Sociology Section of the German Association of Social Science Research on Japan (VSJF)
since 2001: Elected Member, Yale Society for Comparative Studies

since 2007: Hochschulrat (University Council), executive committee member, Duisburg-Essen University
since 2006: Speaker of the Doctoral College in Contemporary East Asian Studies, Duisburg-Essen University
2005 - 2007: Vice-Director of the Institut for Sociology, Duisburg-Essen University
2004 - 2006: Elected Member, University Senate Research Commission, Duisburg-Essen University
since 2004: Board of Directors, Essen Gender College (Advisory Board, Post-doc Programm), Duisburg-Essen University
2003 - 2006: Assistant-Dean for International Affairs, Faculty of Social Sciences, Duisburg-Essen University
2003 - 2004: Elected Member, University Equal Opportunity Commission, Gerhard-Mercator University, Duisburg
2000 - 2002: Director, Institute for East Asian Studies, Gerhard-Mercator University, Duisburg
1996 - 1999: Assistant Dean and Director of Faculty Development, International Christian University, Tokio, Japan