Magistra Artium Viola van Melis
Current affiliations
- Cluster of Excellence "Religion and Politics"
Academic Education | |
| 1998 | Magister Artium (German Master of Arts) at the University of Cologne in History, English and Economics; Final thesis with Prof. Dr. Wolfgang Schieder on religion in 19th-century decorum books for middle-class women |
| 1992 - 1998 | Scholarship holder of Cusanuswerk |
| 10/1990 - 1998 | Study of History, English and Economics at the University of Cologne and at Trinity College, Dublin |
Work Experience | |
| since 07/2009 | Head of the Centre for Research Communication at the Cluster of Excellence "Religion and Politics" at the University of Münster; Advisor to the General Assembly; Lectures and workshops on research communication for the humanities and social sciences; Organisation and presentation of research communication events |
| 04/2015 - 09/2015 | Lecturer at Karlsruhe Institute of Technology (KIT), Department for Research Communication at the Institute for German studies |
| 2004 - 2009 | Head of the regional editorial office of North Rhine-Westphalia of the Catholic News Agency (KNA) in Bonn; Nationwide specialist journalistic publications on politics, religions, churches, ethics, education, culture and social issues; Presentation of panel discussions, conferences and book reports on politics, religions and social issues; Media courses for junior journalists and East European journalists; PR consulting for organisations |
| 2000 - 2004 | Editorial journalist at the KNA central editorial office in Bonn and at the KNA regional office of North Rhine-Westphalia in Cologne |
| 10/1998 - 2000 | KNA traineeship in Bonn, Berlin and Frankfurt/Main, also covering print, photography and television at the Institut zur Förderung publizistischen Nachwuchses (institute for the advancement of media juniors, ifp) in Munich |
| 1989 - 2000 | Freelance work: press office of the University of Cologne; press office of the Düsseldorf fair; Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung (F.A.Z.); Kölner Stadt-Anzeiger; Rheinische Post; Westdeutscher Rundfunk (WDR) |
| 1989 - 2000 | Employment: Department of English, University of Cologne (Dr. Ansgar Nünning, chair of Prof. Dr. Natascha Würzbach); Engagement: art bookshop Walther König, Cologne; Greven Verlag, Cologne; graphic designing for Magdalenen Verlag, Holzkirchen |
Functions and Memberships | |
| since 2024 | Referee, Science communication programme (WPK, Wissenschaftskommunikationsprogramm) of the Austrian Science Fonds (FWF, Österreichischer Wissenschaftsfonds) |
| since 2023 | Jury member, Communicator Award of the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG, German Research Foundation) and the Stifterverband (Donors’ Association for the Promotion of Sciences and Humanities in Germany) |
| since 2020 | Referee, Funding of projects for Research Communication (Teilprojekte Öffentlichkeitsarbeit) of the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG, German Research Foundation) |
| since 2017 | Member, Center for Digital Humanities at the University of Münster |
| since 2011 | Member, Bundesverband Hochschulkommunikation (German association of university communication) |
| since 2010 | Participant, National symposia on research communication (Forum Wissenschaftskommunikation (Wissenschaft im Dialog – Science in Dialogue), annual conference of the German association of university communication) |
| since 2009 | Member, “1648 - Dialogues for Peace” working group, Alliance for Science |
| 2024 | Member, Siggener Kreis 2024 „Mythos Vertrauen. Vertrauen in Wissenschaft und Forschung und die Rolle der Wissenschaftskommunikation“ (The Myth of Trust. Trust in Science and Research and the Role of Science Communication), Gut Siggen (Holstein), Toepfer Stiftung, ZEIT Verlag, Wissenschaft im Dialog (WiD) |
| 2020 | Initiator, Social media and website exhibition "Kleine Fächer - Große Potenziale" (Small Disciplines – Great Potential) (digital extension of the museum exhibition of the same name on small disciplines in the humanities at the Archaeological Museum of University of Münster in X @religionpolitik und Instagram @religionundpolitik) |
| 2020 | Co-founder, The nationwide first training programme“Religious Journalism” of the Cluster of Excellence „Religion and Politics“ in cooperation with the ifp School of Journalism and the Catholic Academy Berlin |
| 2018 | Appointed member, Working group „Society and Politics“ of the 101st German Catholic Convention in Münster (101. Deutscher Katholikentag) |
| 2018 | Head of editorial team, „Religion and Politics. The Magazine“ |
| 2018 | Initiator and Co-organiser, Open-air lecture theatre of the Cluster of Excellence of the University of Münster at the 101st German Catholic Convention in Münster (101. Deutscher Katholikentag) (on religious policy today, and religion and violence in the past and present) |
| 2017 | Co-organiser, Public lecture series “Music and religion” of the Cluster of Excellence “Religion and Politics” at the University of Münster |
| 2015 - 2017 | Member, Working committee “Leitlinien zur guten Wissenschafts-PR” (guidelines for good PR in research), organised by the umbrella organisation “Wissenschaft im Dialog” (Science in Dialogue, WiD) and the Bundesverband Hochschulkommunikation (German association of university communication) |
| 2010 - 2017 | Managing committee, Institut zur Förderung publizistischen Nachwuchses (institute for the advancement of media juniors, ifp) in Munich |
| 2016 | Co-organiser , Public lecture series “Religious policy today” of the Cluster of Excellence “Religion and Politics” of the University of Münster |
| 2006 - 2015 | Organisation, Regular journalists’ get-togethers in Cologne, Bonn and Münster |
| 03/2014 | Research communication study trip to universities and think tanks in New York and Washington, supported by North American offices of the German Research Association (Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft, DFG) |
| 2002 - 2007 | Journalistis’ trips to Central and Eastern Europe |
| 2002 - 2007 | Participant, Advance journalists’ trainings (e.g., Akademie für Publizistik, Friedrich-Ebert-Stiftung) |
Publications
van Melis, Viola (2020) In: DUZ Wissenschaft und Management, 4.2020 Type of Publication: Non-scientific contribution (journal) | |
van Melis, Viola (2020) In: Frankfurter Rundschau, 15.04.2020 Type of Publication: Non-scientific contribution (journal) | |
van Melis, Viola (2020) In: Deutsche Universitätszeitung, 20.04.2020 Type of Publication: Non-scientific contribution (journal) | |
van Melis, Viola (2020) In: Kölner Stadt-Anzeiger, 17.04.2020 Type of Publication: Non-scientific contribution (journal) | |
Van Melis, Viola (2019) In: Klatt, Stefan (eds.), „Geistwürfe“. Visuelle Wissenschaftskommunikation für geisteswissenschaftliche Einrichtungen der WWU Münster 2010–2017. Katalog zur Ausstellung vom 18. Dezember 2017 bis 5. Januar…. Münster: (no publisher available). Type of Publication: Research article (book contribution) |
Talks
| Research communication – between pluralisation and polarisation. A glance at the social sciences and humanities. van Melis, Viola (04/07/2024) Forschungsdialog Sozialwissenschaften, Münster Type of talk: practical talk | |
| Research communication for the humanities and social sciences. Examples of how to encounter an increasingly populistic climate of debate. van Melis, Viola (02/12/2020) 72. Jahrestagung der „Brasilianischen Gesellschaft für den Fortschritt der Wissenschaft“ (SBPC), Roundtable „Challenges…, São Paulo Type of talk: practical talk | |
| The significance of religion in the 21st-century public van Melis, Viola (13/09/2016) Medientreff der Katholischen Akademie in Berlin und des Fördervereins des Instituts zur Förderung publizistischen…, Berlin Type of talk: practical talk | |
| commentary on the lecture of communication scientist Tim Karis: “Kosher cookery shows, Muslim broadcasting councils and the short weekly TV sermon ‘Sunday… van Melis, Viola (19/07/2016) Öffentliche Ringvorlesung „Religionspolitik heute“ des Exzellenzclusters „Religion und Politik“ der Westfälischen…, Münster Type of talk: scientific talk | |
| Religious policy today. Introductory lecture about key subjects of the public lecture series of the Cluster of Excellence “Religion and Politics” with the same… van Melis, Viola (10/05/2016) Ringvorlesung des Exzellenzclusters „Religion und Politik“ , Münster Type of talk: scientific talk |