Private lecturer Dr. Katharina Crepaz from the Chair of Social Determinants of Health has been awarded the Habilitation Award of the Friends of TUM e. V. of the Technical University of Munich (TUM). The prize is endowed with 1,500 euros. The award was given for the habilitation on the topic "Fostering Political Participation, Representation, and Well-Being: Why Diversity and Inclusion Governance Matters."
"I am very pleased to receive the TUM Habilitation Award and the recognition it brings," said PD Dr. Crepaz. "For me, the award has great significance, as I have worked very long and intensively on the topic. Of course, one is also particularly honored to have been nominated for this award by one's own Department."
"The Friends of TUM e. V. selected the scientific achievement of PD Dr. Crepaz in a competitive process. This is an excellent example of a university that can be proud of not only excelling in its own subject specifics, but also looking beyond subject boundaries and bearing social responsibility, so-called 'social impact'," said Prof. Dr. Elisabeth Wacker, emeritus holder of the Chair of Sociology of Diversity (now Sociology of Diversity Unit), who supervised PD Dr. Crepaz's habilitation.
As part of her cumulative habilitation, the political scientist focused on the link between political participation and health. She paid particular attention to different forms of social diversity. The work, which consisted of a total of twelve scientific essays, examined in particular how marginalized groups such as people with a migration background or people with disabilities can actively participate in social life, as this is a main prerequisite for their health. With its attention to participation opportunities, the work follows the holistic health definition of the World Health Organization (WHO), which also includes social well-being. Linking the ever-increasing heterogeneity in the population with health promotion and realization opportunities of well-Being is not only a highly topical societal challenge, but equally a growing field of research both in Europe and transcontinental.
"In my habilitation, I took a holistic approach," explains PD Dr. Crepaz, who is currently a senior researcher at the Center for Advanced Studies of the private research center Eurac Research in Bolzano, Italy. "This approach has involved different levels, which ranged from European to national to regional and local." Among other things, Crepaz examined differences in terms of participation opportunities for people with disabilities in South Tyrol and Bavaria.
"Ms. Crepaz is a proven specialist in the close intertwining of 'diversity & inclusion governance', for example related to gender, age, nationality, ethnicity, religious orientation, sexual identity or disability," says Prof. Wacker. "She conducts research primarily in the highly topical area of national and migrant minorities. Learning to deal constructively with diversity and difference is not only a highly topical economic factor, so that many often hidden performance potentials can be better realized. It is also a necessary and essential desideratum of europeanization and a global field for the future. Especially in times of threatening separation and the formation of fronts, a basic attitude based on human rights, combined with advancing diversity competence and the will for community (inclusivity) are absolutely necessary. The remarkable methodological approach of the award winner is to involve the people in the research, who are experts in their own matter, with qualitative and participatory procedures."
For Prof. Dr. Matthias Richter, head of the Chair of Social Determinants of Health, the award for his colleague is also of great significance: "I am very happy for PD Dr. Crepaz, and for two main reasons: The topic is not easy to work on methodologically and there is still a lot of convincing to be done to push the topic onto the political agenda. PD Dr. Crepaz has succeeded in doing both very convincingly and sustainably. She has impressively demonstrated her stamina and scientific excellence here."
The Friends of TUM e.V. supports the Technical University of Munich in science, research and teaching and has set itself the goal in particular of promoting young academics. In doing so, it promotes at TUM the long tradition of excellent research in science and technology, innovation and the joy of experimentation, integrity and cosmopolitanism, social competence and family-friendliness, and a trusting and future-oriented education of young people. The "Association of Friends of the Technical University of Munich" was founded as early as 1922. Today, the association has over 2,000 individual members as well as 60 companies and associations.
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Contact:
Prof. Dr. Elisabeth Wacker
Sociology of Diversity Unit
Georg-Brauchle-Ring 60/62
80992 München
phone: 089 289 24460
e-mail: elisabeth.wacker(at)tum.de
Prof. Dr. Matthias Richter
Chair of Social Determinants of Health
Georg-Brauchle-Ring 60/62
80992 München
phone: 089 289 24190
e-mail: richter.matthias(at)tum.de
PD Dr. Katharina Crepaz
Chair of Social Determinants of Health
Georg-Brauchle-Ring 60/62
80992 München
phone: 0039 0471055297
e-mail: katharina.crepaz(at)tum.de
Text: Romy Schwaiger
Photos: Friends of TUM e. V./Beatrice Vohler/PD Dr. Katharina Crepaz