Karsten Speck has held the professorship for Research Methods in Educational Sciences at the Institute of Educational Sciences at the University of Oldenburg since 2010. He is currently 1st Chair of the Academic Advisory Board of the Hanse-Wissenschaftskolleg(https://hanse-ias.de), 2nd co-editor of the journal for the study and practice of social pedagogy "Unsere Jugend"(https://www.reinhardt-verlag.de/zeitschriften/unsere-jugend/) and 3rd Ambassador of the Presidential Board of the University of Oldenburg for the co-operation with the Nelson Mandela University (South Africa)(https://uol.de/mandela).

Karsten Speck's research focus includes 1. cooperation research, 2. engagement research, 3. school absenteeism research, 4. educational research and 5. intervention and effectiveness research(https://uol.de/paedagogik/forschungsmethoden/forschung). One focus is on analysing social inequality and the reduction of social disadvantage. Together with colleagues, he is currently leading research and development projects in the educational and social sector in various Federal States (including school social work, multi-professional co-operation, change in engagement and volunteering, future trends in education). He also leads research and co-operation projects with colleagues in Africa, including with universities in South Africa, Kenya, Tanzania and Uganda (CERM-ESA, DIGI-FACE, COMP3Modules)(https://uol.de/paedagogik/forschungsmethoden/schwerpunkt-afrikakooperation/team).

In the past, he has been involved in various scientific commissions (e.g. Speakers' Council of the Youth Sociology Section of the German Sociological Association), 2. boards (Volunteer Agency Halle-Saalkreis, Pro Schule - Verein zur Förderung von Schulreform in Sachsen-Anhalt e.V., Politische Jugendbildung in Ostdeutschland - Ansprüche, Wirkungen, Alternativen der Evangelischen Akademien Ostdeutschlands), 3. advisory boards (e.g. Netzwerk Schulsozialarbeit in Baden-Württemberg, Beirat Bürgerschaftliches Engagement in Treptow-Köpenick, Beirat des Berliner Senate für das Landesprogramm Jugendsozialarbeit an Schulen) and 4. expert groups (e.g. the Bundesarbeitsgemeinschaft der Freiwilligenagenturen für das Qualitätsmanagement).

He was a research assistant and lecturer at the University of Jena, the University of Potsdam, the University of Applied Sciences Potsdam and the Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg. In 2005, he completed his doctorate on the subject of school social work at the Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg.

Scientific curriculum vitae

01/2026 - today

• Chair of the Scientific Advisory Board of the Hanse-Wissenschaftskolleg

01/2022 - 12/2023

• Vice President for Studies, Teaching and International Affairs at the University of Oldenburg

04/2021 - today

• Ambassador of the Presidential Board of the University of Oldenburg for the co-operation with Nelson Mandela University (South Africa) at the University of Oldenburg

06/2016 - today

• Full professorship at the University of Oldenburg (Institute of Educational Sciences and Institute of Special Needs Education and Rehabilitation) for research methods in education and educational sciences
• Rejected call to the University of Vechta ("School pedagogy, specialising in empirical educational research")

07/2015 - 06/2019

• Dean of School I - School of Educational and Social Sciences at the University of Oldenburg

07/2012 - 06/2015

• Dean of Studies of School I - School of Educational and Social Sciences at the University of Oldenburg

05/2012 - 5/2016

• W2 professorship at the University of Oldenburg (Institute of Educational Sciences) for research methods in education and educational sciences
• Rejected appointment at the University of Leipzig ("Schulpädagogik unter special consideration of socio-educational fields of action")
• Rejected appointment at the University of Duisburg-Essen ("School and Youth Welfare")

06/2010 - 4/2012

• HP-2020 W2 professorship at the University of Oldenburg (Institute of Educational Sciences) for research methods in education and educational sciences

07/2005

• PhD on the topic of "Quality standards, quality development and self-evaluation in school social work" at the Department of Educational Sciences at Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg (Prof. Dr Thomas Olk and Prof. Dr Hartmut Wenzel)

04/2004 - 05/2010

• Research assistant at the Institute for Educational Science at the University of Potsdam; Department of Educational and Socialisation Theory

12/2001 - 01/2004

• Research assistant at the Department of Educational Sciences; Department of Social Pedagogy and Social Policy at Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg

10/1998 - 02/2002

• Research assistant for in-service further education programmes for Teachers and educators at the Martin-Luther-University Halle-Wittenberg at the Department of Educational Sciences; Department of Social Pedagogy and Social Policy

01/1998 - 12/1998

• Head of the Evaluation Office of the Medical School of the Martin Luther University Halle-Wittenberg