Research
Research at our chair
Our research focusses on the following disciplines of geography:
- economic geography
- transport geography
- urban geography and regional development
Within these subject areas, we primarily address the following aspects:
- economic site locations and clusters
- regional structural transformation
- industrial estates
- regional food systems
- mobility transition and regional mobility
- sustainability in transport and logistics
- urban and regional development
- border regions
Research projects are carried out both within the framework of so-called in-house research and, above all, via third-party funded measures from state, federal and EU programmes.
Regional focus
We also specialise in regional geographic research:
- Germany, in particular North Rhine-Westphalia with the Ruhr region, Lower Rhine area and Rhineland
- BeNeLux region
- Alpine countries Austria and Switzerland
- Northeast of the USA
- Caucasus states Armenia and Georgia
- United Arab Emirates
Our international collaborations and contacts provide further research-relevant points of contact in the following countries:
- China
- Indonesia
- Japan
- Uzbekistan
Applied geography
The focus of our work lies in an application-orientated research approach that translates its findings and research results into spatially relevant implementation options. Accordingly, our research projects also emphasise cooperation and joint projects together with actors and institutions from business, politics and administration.
We work on these topics from the perspective of "applied geography" or "geography in practice": The focus is on the implementation and shaping of spatial knowledge relevant to planning and decision-making in business, politics, society, planning and administration at local, regional and global level.
Dissertations
Dissertations - embedded in a formal doctoral procedure at the Faculty of Humanities of the University of Duisburg-Essen with the degree of Dr phil. - are an important element of university research work. In addition to contributing to the research work of the chair, dissertations naturally also serve to promote the academic development of doctoral students, the so-called promotion of young researchers. At our department, dissertations are completed as part of (third-party funded) research projects or as part of so-called independent research. In individual cases, external doctorates are also supervised by arrangement.