Prof. Dr. Beate Illg

What inspires me

As a researcher, it is always fascinating to have a look into the minds of other people. For this reason, I have a soft spot for qualitative research methods. It was especially interesting for me to interview journalists in Nepal and Bhutan about their view of their profession.

As a teacher, it inspires me to “get something going” in young people. Of course, they should also attain knowledge, but above all, I would like to arouse their enthusiasm for personal commitment and critical thinking. “Education is not the filling of a pail but the lighting of a fire.” (W.B. Yeats, 1865–1939)

Career development

since 2013

  • Professor for Communication Sciences with main focus on Psychology and Advertising at the Jade University of Applied Sciences in Wilhelmshaven

2021–2024

  • Dean of the department Management, Information, Technology at the Jade University of Applied Sciences

2011–2013

  • Substitute professorship for Communication Sciences with main focus on Psychology and Advertising at the Jade University of Applied Sciences in Wilhelmshaven

2011–2013

  • Extra-occupational training as “Coach for Perspective Development” (320 hours)

2007–2011

  • Psychological opinion survey and market research (creative analytic 3000, Frankfurt am Main)

1999–2007

  • Media research (Hessischer Rundfunk, Frankfurt am Main)

2000

  • Obtained doctorate at the Westfälischen Wilhelms-Universität (Communication Sciences); 1996–1999 Doctorate scholarship from the Heinrich Böll-Stiftung e.V.

International

Next to my professional life, I was able to gain varied experience in an international context. I spent an eight-month leave in Nepal in 2009/2010.

Since 2013

  • Established and maintained a university cooperation between the Jade University of Applied Sciences and the Kathmandu University (Nepal)
  • Implementation of Media Schools in Wilhelmshaven and Kathmandu; two week, curricular based project with students from both universities

2010–2011

  • Teaching assignments and support of master theses in the department of “International Media Studies” at the Deutsche Welle-Akademie, Bonn

2010

  • Day workshop on the topic of 'Public Relations' for the ded (Deutscher Entwicklungsdienst – German Development Service) in Kathmandu / Nepal

2008–2009

  • Advisor for the Deutsche Welle-Akademie, Asia-Unit, Bonn and Laos

2001

  • Advisor for the Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung, Hanoi office

Research projects

2024–2025

  • Research semester in winter semester 2024 / 2025
  • Journalism and Democracy in Bhutan und Nepal

2017–2018

  • Research semester in winter semester 2017 / 2018
  • The Self-Assessment of Journalists in Nepal and Bhutan

2013

  • The self-image of Nepalese journalists – with special consideration of the democratic development in Nepal

Major points of focus

  • Qualitative research methods
  • Journalism (international) and democracy
  • Gender
  • Media reception

Teaching

Media Management and Journalism (BA), specifically:

  • Communication Sciences (including Seminar Media Research, Media Project)
  • Psychology
  • Self-management

Management of Digital Media (MA), specifically:

  • Project International
  • Project Media Research
  • various elective courses

Selected Publications

2025

  • Radue, Melanie; Eckerl, Thomas; Hahn, Oliver; Illg, Beate: Prefix journalism. Selected concepts and their cosmopolitan potentials and pitfalls.
    In: Richter, Carola, Radue, Melanie; Horz-Ishak, Christine; Litvinenko, Anna; Badr, Hanan; Fiedler, Anke (Hg.): Cosmopolitan Communication Studies. Toward Deep Internationalization. Transcript. Waiblingen: 169–186.
  • Keßler, Mira with contributions from Kefa Hamidi & Beate Illg: Challenges and possibilities of context-specific differences.
    In: Richter, Carola, Radue, Melanie; Horz-Ishak, Christine; Litvinenko, Anna; Badr, Hanan; Fiedler, Anke (Hg.): Cosmopolitan Communication Studies. Toward Deep Internationalization. Transcript. Waiblingen: 267–288.

2019

  • Dernbach, Beatrice; Illg, Beate (Hg.): Journalism and Journalism Education in Developing Countries. Karnataka, India.
  • Self-perception of Nepalese journalists within the democratization process of the country.
    In: Dernbach, Beatrice; Illg, Beate (Hg.): Journalism and Journalism Education in Developing Countries. Karnataka, India: 116–129.

2018

  • Czepek, Andrea; Hellwig, Melanie; Illg, Beate; Nowak, Eva (Hg.): Freiheit und Journalismus. Baden-Baden.
    (“Freedom and Journalism”)
  • Illg, Beate: Freiheit durch Demokratie – Freiheit in der Demokratie?
    (“Freedom through Democracy – Freedom in Democracy?”)
    In: Czepek et al.: Freiheit und Journalismus. Baden-Baden: 173–188.
    (“Freedom and Journalism”)

2003

  • Illg, Beate: Das Publikum des hessen fernsehens unter Berücksichtigung der MedienNutzerTypologie – Entwicklungsperspektiven eines dritten Programms.
    (“The audience of Hessian television in consideration of media user typology – development perspectives of the third program”)
    In: Oehmichen, Ekkehardt / Ridder, Christa-Maria (Hg.): Die MedienNutzerTypologie. Ein neuer Ansatz der Publikumsanalyse. Baden-Baden: 116–127.
    (“The Media User Typology. A new approach to audience analysis.”)

2002

  • Illg, Beate: Die soziale Konstruktion von Information in Unterhaltungsprogrammen am Beispiel der Rezeption einer Soap Opera.
    (“The social construction of information in the entertainment programs based on the example of a soap opera.”)
    In: Scholl, Armin (Hg.): Systemtheorie und Konstruktivismus in der Kommunikationswissenschaft. Konstanz.
    (“System theory and constructivism in communication sciences.”)

2001

  • „... du nimmst ja auch irgend etwas mit aus diesen Serien in den Alltag ...“ Medienrezeption, Geschlechterkonstruktion und Informationswert. Eine qualitative Rezeptionsstudie am Beispiel der Seifenoper 'Verbotene Liebe'. Frankfurt am Main. (Promotion)
    („…you also take something out of these series with you into your daily life…” Media reception, gender construction and information value. A qualitative reception study based on the example of the soap opera “Verbotene Liebe”. (Doctor’s thesis))

Selected speeches

2019

  • Schlaues Haus (Oldenburg)
    Self-perception of Bhutanese and Nepalese journalists in the process of a developing democracy

2018

  • ECREA Jahreskonferenz (Lugano, CH)
    Self-perception of Bhutanese and Nepalese journalists in the process of a developing democracy

2016

  • Annual conference of the professional group Journalism and Journalistic Research of the DGPuK in Wilhelmshaven
    Freedom through Democracy – Freedom in Democracy? Chances and limitations of journalism in Nepal. An empirical analysis of the self-perception of Nepalese journalists.

Memberships

Member of the DGPuK (Deutsche Gesellschaft für Publizistik- und Kommunikationswissenschaft e.V.)
(“German Society for Journalism and Communication Sciences”)
  Active participation in the specialist groups: International and Intercultural Communication as well as Media, Publicity and Gender

Member of the ECREA (European Communication Research and Education Association)

Other

Since 2019, I have been a liaison professor for the Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung e.V.