Cite selectedRISBiBTeX

Claire's undergraduate years were spent at the University of Limerick (BA Law and European Studies) and the University of Education, Karlsruhe. Postgraduate studies were completed at the Centre for Irish-German Studies (under Dr Gisela Holfter), University of Limerick, Friedrich Schiller University of Jena (Prof Dr Jürgen Bolten) and the University of Regensburg (Prof Dr Alexander Thomas), where she also undertook postdoctoral research under Prof. Dr Thomas, Professor Emeritus Social- and Culture Psychology in 2001-2002. She came to University College Cork in 2005 from Chemnitz University of Technology where she held a position as Assistant Professor (Juniorprofessur) in Intercultural Training and International Relations from 2002.
She is co-editor with Dr V. O'Regan of the recently launched volume "Ireland and the Irish in Germany - Reception and Perception", published by Nomos (2014).

Cite selectedRISBiBTeX

Research Interests

- German-Irish Relations (historical, societal, business, literary). Within this broad field I have carried out studies from student exchange and the student experience abroad, to business relations and management styles from a German-Irish comparative perspective. I have also carried out research in comparative migration histories of Ireland and Germany, and examined a German-Irish theme within auto- /hetero-images of self and other in contemporary literature (against the background of identity constructions). My current research focuses on analysing Irishness and the Irish in Germany from a historical and multidisciplinary perspective.

- Teaching German as a Foreign Language especially the teaching of language and content [CLIL], and in the field of intercultural communication, examining formal education measures to teach culture and culture awareness, informed primarily, but not only, by German academic discourse.

A monograph published in 2005 (with M. Arnold) examines developments in Germany in the teaching of Intercultural Communication "Interkulturelles Training in Deutschland: Theoretische Grundlagen, Zukunftsperspektiven und eine annotierte Literaturauswahl", Verlag für Interkulturelle Kommunikation, Frankfurt am Main (274 pp.).
Book review, by E. Tichy, Philologist at the University of Prague, states:
"While there is much literature on the subject "Intercultural Training", it is very often of Anglo-American origin. The book in question concentrates as the title indicates on Germany and is an excellent introduction and resource book for anyone researching Intercultural Training within the field in Germany (Tichy, E. Info DaF, 2007: p. 279).

Research Grants

Cite selectedRISBiBTeX

Edited Books

Books

Book Chapters

Peer Reviewed Journals

Other Journals

Published Reports

Book Reviews

Unpublished Reports

Cite selectedRISBiBTeX

Honours and Awards

Professional Associations

Conference Contributions

Committees

Employment

Education

Languages

Outreach Activities

Other Activities

Cite selectedRISBiBTeX

Teaching Interests

At undergraduate level, concerning content courses, my teaching interests lie in
- German-Irish Relations (in a historical sense including German biographies in Ireland, Irish biographies in Germany, WWII, business relationships since the founding of the State etc)
- Intercultural Communication in German particularly from the perspective of Cross-Cultural Psychology
- German Management and Human Resource Issues

I have also taught on German film for final years and first year literature courses.

In language courses, I have taught
- Final Year discussion classes, essay writing and translation modules

At postgraduate level I teach Intercultural Communication, Academic Writing for Postgraduates, and Research Methods. I am also overall MA coordinator and Module coordinator of Research Methods.

MA Thesis Supervision

2014: Anouchka Eichmann, “Staying or leaving? A cross national study of the cultural and socio-economic factors influencing the mobility of repatriates in France, Ireland and Poland” (MITRA student, co-supervised with Dr Marcelina Zuber, University of University in Wrocław, Poland).

2014: Dana Saltykova, “Intercultural Training and Cross-Cultural Adaptation: Lived Experiences of Expatriates” (MITRA student, co-supervised with Dr Marcelina Zuber, University of University in Wrocław, Poland).

2010: Siobhan Horan, “How Valid is it to Speak of an Irish-German Palatine Identity?” MA in German Studies.

2009: Jennifer Holt, “Evaluation MA Intercultural Communication Between the Military and NGHOs: An Approach to the use of culture standards for intercultural training”, MA in German Studies.

Modules Taught