Our doctoral student Bernhard Guetz, who had written his master thesis on patient satisfaction under supervision from Sonja Bidmon, presented his master thesis at the end of March 2019 upon invitation at Junior Management Science (JUMS) conference in Hamburg.

In 2018, Bernhard’s thesis had been published in Junior Management Science journal already. It can be read here: http://dx.doi.org/10.5282/jums/v3i3pp106-145.

Further information on the conference and journal can be found here: https://jums.academy/zweite-junior-management-science-konferenz

Following his master thesis, Bernhard Guetz continued his research in the area of patient satisfaction and is currently doctoral student in the HSSCM doctoral program, again with Sonja Bidmon as advisor.

Congratulations on this great achievement and all the best for your doctoral studies, Bernhard!

Picture credits: © Junior Management Science e.V., Fotograf: Marco Wall

Der Beitrag Bernhard Guetz at JUMS conference in Hamburg erschien zuerst auf University of Klagenfurt.

Source: AAU TEWI

Weighing in at just over 800 pages, the recently published Cambridge Handbook of Wisdom was edited by Robert J. Sternberg (Cornell University) and Judith Glück (University of Klagenfurt). The handbook offers an overview of the state of research on wisdom, an area of study that is still something of a rarity at universities, and presents various perspectives describing how a greater understanding of wisdom could contribute to a better world.

The previous issue of the Handbook of Wisdom was published by Robert J. Sternberg and Jennifer Jordan 14 years ago and consisted of 13 chapters. In comparison, research on wisdom has a great deal more to offer nowadays: The new edition is comprised of 32 chapters which were contributed by 26 different research teams from the fields of psychology, philosophy, sociology, political sciences, economic sciences, and medicine. Though many scholars are working in the field of wisdom today, the topic continues to take up very little space in degree and research programmes – including those conducted by large psychology departments.

More knowledge about wisdom would carry societal benefits, according to the editors’ assumption as stated in the preface to the handbook: “We live in a world that needs considerably more wisdom than it currently exhibits.” In their view, research on wisdom – in contrast to many a narrowly defined question from the realm of experimental psychology – is highly relevant for the problems facing contemporary humankind. Yet those situations where wisdom is revealed, typically tend to elude traditional experimental methods, and this represents a key challenge for research on wisdom.

With this book, Robert J. Sternberg and Judith Glück hope to address not only students and the scientific community, but also all those beyond the field who earnestly wish to understand what constitutes wisdom and what potential it bears to change the world. Judith Glück, who investigates the development of wisdom during adulthood in one of the chapters, also explores the extent to which old age or certain stages of life are more likely to encourage the formation of wisdom. She finds that it is not possible to prove beyond doubt that any specific phase of life is a “wise” age, as results strongly depend on the (psychological) measuring instruments used in the respective studies. Wisdom does not develop automatically over the course of a lifetime, so one cannot confidently expect that time is bound to bring forth more wisdom for the individual and for the whole. “Some people work extremely hard to gain a profound understanding of the essential questions of human life. They strive to discover the ways in which we are similar to and different from each other, and to discern what opportunities we can avail ourselves of to improve not merely our own lives, but the lives of many. If these individuals also possess the emotional and cognitive skills to deal with the complexities of these issues, they can acquire a rich and deep knowledge of life, and they can use this to advance the world overall”, Judith Glück explains. The development of wisdom requires empathy, emotional self-regulation, and the capacity to reflect, among others – capacities that can all be consciously encouraged. In turn, they could contribute to the development of more wisdom, both at the individual and at the societal level.

Sternberg, R. J. & Glück, J. (2019). The Cambridge Handbook of Wisdom. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press.

Der Beitrag “We live in a world that needs considerably more wisdom than it currently exhibits.”: A handbook dealing with research on wisdom has just come out erschien zuerst auf University of Klagenfurt.

Source: AAU TEWI

Alpen-Adria-Universität Klagenfurt announces the following open position:

Tenure track professorship in clinical psychology

at the Faculty of Humanities, Institute of Psychology, Department of Clinical Psychology, Psychotherapy and Psychoanalysis. The University of Klagenfurt plans to strengthen its psychodynamically oriented research group with a tenure track position. The Institute of Psychology, an active collaborative community with a diverse faculty and student body, offers an undergraduate program, a general M.A. program, and a Ph.D. program. The Department of Clinical Psychology, Psychotherapy and Psychoanalysis has a focus on psychodynamically oriented approaches, which also includes mentalization-based treatment. An outpatient center that treats psychodynamically oriented depression and anxiety patients is part of the Institute of Psychology.

The University of Klagenfurt is a young, lively, innovative university located in the Austrian province of Carinthia, a meeting point of three cultures. The University is Carinthia’s largest academic institution and a hub for the Alps-Adriatic region in terms of knowledge acquisition, exchange and transfer (for more information please visit our website: www.aau.at/en/jobs/information).

This is a full-time position (initial employment limited to 6 years) with the option of negotiating a qualification agreement (Assistant Professor, tenure track). Upon fulfilling the qualification agreement, the postholder is promoted to tenured Associate Professor (permanent employment). Earliest starting date is 1^st of September 2019.

Duties and Responsibilities

Participation in the Institute’s research, psychological service and teaching tasks, including:

• Independent research in the field of clinical psychology with a psychodynamic emphasis and further development of the candidate’s scientific qualification to the level required for Associate Professorship
• Grant acquisition and management of research projects (national and international)
• Graduate and undergraduate teaching with an emphasis on psychotherapeutic work with adults, examination activities, and supervision of students
• Publications in international journals and active participation in national and international conferences
• Participation in administration, in university committees, and in quality assurance activities
• Contribution to the international scientific network of the Institute of Psychology

Required qualifications

• Master’s degree or diploma and PhD/doctorate in psychology
• Profound knowledge in the field of clinical psychology (e.g., in psychopathology and in different interventions for treatment of psychological disorders)
• Empirical background in psychotherapy processes and/or outcome research
• Research interest in psychodynamic psychotherapy
• Competence in statistical methods
• Publications in international peer-reviewed clinical psychology or psychotherapy journals
• Teaching experience at university level
• Excellent English skills (speaking and writing), willingness to obtain German speaking skills

Candidates must meet the required qualifications by 23^rd of August, 2019 at the latest.

Additional desired qualifications

• Research, publications or active participation in conferences in the field of psychodynamically oriented psychotherapy research, for example on topics such as reflective functioning, attachment, intersession psychotherapy, therapeutic alliance and outcome
• Expertise in advanced statistical methods relevant for clinical psychology (e.g., hierarchical linear models or time series analyses)
• Clinical training and experience in working with patients with mental disorders after obtaining a Master’s degree
• Experience in third-party grant applications and project management (national and international)
• Experience in organizing workshops in clinical psychology or related fields (e.g., health psychology or psychological assessment)
• International experience
• Research interests overlapping with other research topics at the Institute of Psychology (e.g., public health, wisdom, social exclusion or gerontopsychology)
• Excellent grades for Master’s and Doctoral/PhD degrees
• Experience with academic administrative duties
• Ability to cooperate in a team, social and communicative competence

The nature of the position requires the candidate to work in Klagenfurt. The Department of Clinical Psychology, Psychotherapy and Psychoanalysis is currently expanding. Our team offers a friendly and dynamic work atmosphere.

The university aims to increase the proportion of women in scientific positions, especially in leadership and therefore encourages qualified women to apply for the position. In case of equivalent qualification, women are accepted preferentially.

People with disabilities or chronic diseases, who fulfill the requirements, are particularly encouraged to apply.

Salary and application

The minimum gross salary for this position is € 53,255.- per annum (§ 27 Uni-KV B1 lit b), € 62,978.- after promotion to Assistant Professor (§ 27 Uni-KV A2) and € 68,285.- after promotion to Associate Professor.

Applications in English and German are welcome and should include a CV, cover letter, and the names of three referees, as well as copies of certificates and degrees. The deadline for applications is 15^th of May 2019.

Applications must be submitted online between 3^rd and 24^th of April 2019 via www.aau.at/obf (please indicate reference code 24/19). Because of a scheduled system migration, you will not be able to apply between 25^th and 29^th of April 2019. Applications lodged between 30 ^th of April and 15 ^th of May 2019 have to be submitted via the Job Portal jobs.aau.at in the category „scientific staff“ by pressing the button „Apply here“ under the job code 24/19 in the Job Portal.

Travel and accommodation costs incurred during the application process will not be refunded. Translations of this announcement into other languages shall serve informational purposes only. The English version alone shall be legally binding.

For further information, please contact Prof. Dr. Sylke Andreas (Sylke.andreas [at] aau.at), phone +43(0)463 2700 1625.

Der Beitrag Tenure track professorship in clinical psychology at the Faculty of Humanities, Institute of Psychology, Department of Clinical Psychology, Psychotherapy and Psychoanalysis erschien zuerst auf University of Klagenfurt.

Source: AAU TEWI

Andrew Urban is an Associate Professor at Rutgers University New Brunswick in New Jersey. In his work as a historian at the Department of American Studies he places a particular focus on the history of laborers and migrants. As Fulbright Fellow, he is spending the summer semester of 2019 at the Department of English and American Studies in Klagenfurt.

For Andrew Urban, the present is full of history: Among the students he teaches in New Jersey, 32 per cent are “first generation academics”, and many have a migration background. His own family did not come to the USA until the early 20^th century: They were Austrian-Hungarian nationals, and at the start of the First World War they left Galicia on the border between Poland and Ukraine, to flee to the United States. “When I was growing up, I was repeatedly reminded that my family had not lived in the USA since the Mayflower, but instead we came much later”, Andrew Urbans recounts from his personal migration history. His is a multi-layered view of the narrative of the United States of America as a country of immigrants: “Even in the past, the influx of migrants from certain regions of the world was restricted time and again. At the start of the 20^th century, for instance, it was very difficult for people from Asia to enter the USA. In the 1920s, strict limitations were applied primarily to immigrants from Southern and Eastern Europe.” The story we tell needs to become more complicated, he explains, in order to adequately represent the reality. Today, his research revolves around the lives of migrants and laborers, while always maintaining a strong link to the present. “History should be useful for our lives today; only then does it make sense to deal with the past”, Urban summarizes the concept of “usable past”.

Andrew Urban is spending the summer semester of 2019 at the University of Klagenfurt as Fulbright Fellow. Here, together with his students, he is investigating the history of displaced persons and refugees who were kept in Carinthian camps. One of the aims of this work is to show how the history of refugees after the Second World War became part of the Austrian public memory.

We ask Andrew Urban to give us his thoughts on why migration is seen as a more serious problem today, compared to the past few decades: “We are lucky to enjoy many aspects of globalization: We are widely connected, we can purchase goods from all over the world and sell them globally, we can listen to music from the other side of the globe, and we can go online to join live sports events that are happening on other continents. And yet, at the same time, we harbor deep concerns with regard to the migration of people. There is also a great deal of irony in economic history: We are proud of the economic success of the Western world, but we remain unaware that this success is based on the exploitation of others. I cannot offer any simple answers to the questions of the age, but I do believe that we must both acknowledge and thoroughly address the contradictions”, he goes on to say.

The historian, who once wanted to work as a journalist and whose early professional career involved the job of knowledge transfer in museums, considers it a responsibility of research to create appropriate spaces for dialogue with citizens. According to Urban, it does not make much sense for his articles to have a readership of only 30 people. Instead, the aim should be to make himself and his topics relevant beyond the borders of universities. This explains why Andrew Urban likes to contribute to exhibition projects, produce podcasts and make documentaries. As he tells us, these are the things he would like to continue to do in his scientific field in the future.

Der Beitrag Drawing from the past for the benefit of the present erschien zuerst auf University of Klagenfurt.

Source: AAU TEWI

Older people – especially in rural areas – often suffer from loneliness, which can subsequently become a health problem. The INTERREG project ECARE aims to tackle social isolation with the help of new digital communication options.

When speaking about the topic of e-health, Cornelia Sicher, a researcher at the Department of Public Management, likes to use terms such as “self-management”. The computer scientists with a doctorate in business administration sees the empowerment of the elderly as a significant opportunity to improve the health of the individuals affected in the long term. “Loneliness is a health problem. We want to help people to monitor themselves and to find their way back into society. The methods we use are integrated platforms, digital communication methods, coupled with social exchange, and neighbourly assistance”, she explains. Partners from Italy approached her with a request to test a new technological system, which works along these lines, offering older people more opportunities to communicate, a greater degree of self-organisation, and technical support in their daily routines. Cornelia Sicher’s team is responsible for conducting the accompanying research and has been tasked with measuring the social and economic effects of the new system. The development of corresponding measuring instruments and indicators commenced at the beginning of the year.

From February onwards, the first batch of households of people aged 65 years and above, living alone and at home, is gradually being equipped with the devices, namely with smart watches and tablets with specially designed apps. The target group is given specially tailored training. Cornelia Sicher tells us: “We want to supply the people with a high-quality comprehensive package. It’s not about simply strapping a smart watch around their wrist and placing a tablet computer into their hands. Rather, we want to understand: How do they live? What problems do they experience? How can help be provided to address their social isolation?” Sicher goes on to tell us that many young people migrate to the cities in Northern Italy, leaving the elderly behind in rural areas and – what is even more worrying – there are far too few beds available in homes for cases requiring care. Social isolation has the effect that people take less care of themselves, reducing how much they move, and giving up on numerous tasks. This is detrimental to their mental agility, physical complaints increase. The project will ultimately involve 80 participants from Treviso, 40 from Belluno, and 16 from Pordenone. Associated partners in Carinthia hope to acquire a further 10 to 20 households in order to test the new technological possibilities.

We ask Cornelia Sicher whether she feels that policymakers and players in the field of health care are doing enough to meet the challenges of demographic change and her answer is optimistic: “I have the impression that there is a lot going on. Here, too, there is interest in rolling out methods of this kind and offering a set of ‘social-meets-digital’ instruments in combination with support provided by a relief organization. After all: People need other people. What is more, the important question arises: Who is going to finance this?” Sicher and her team also see it as their duty to demonstrate that investments in systems of this kind will result in quality improvements and in lower consequential costs in the health sector in the long run.

for ad astra: Romy Müller

Der Beitrag People need other people erschien zuerst auf University of Klagenfurt.

Source: AAU TEWI