Bachelor thesis on refugees with disabilities wins IU Diversity Award
Katharina Babl receives IU Diversity Award for bachelor thesis on the care of refugees with disabilities from Ukraine
The IU Diversity Award for outstanding theses goes to Katharina Babl in the first half of 2023 with her bachelor's thesis about structural care of refugees with disabilities.
Erfurt, Germany, 19 July 2023. The IU Diversity Award, which is presented twice a year by IU International University of Applied Science (IU) for outstanding theses, goes to Katharina Babl (30) in the first half of 2023. In her bachelor's thesis, the graduate in social work deals with the structural care of refugees with disabilities. To this end, she spoke with people affected from Ukraine in the district of Traunstein and investigated how refugees with disabilities are identified and at the same time how it is ensured that they receive the appropriate support in Germany and are referred to the right counselling centres.
"The jury awarded this thesis the prize because it examines a current and very sensitive topic from several diversity perspectives. Katharina convinced us in her thesis with her systematic approach and the derivation of actionable recommendations," says Nicola Schmidt-Geheb, Equality and Diversity Officer at IU.
Babl works as a student trainee at the Bavarian Rotes Kreuz, a public corporation in the Traunstein district association, where she provides support in refugee aid, among other things.
"Through my work, I became aware of a study that shows that too little is being done for refugees with disabilities. There are laws and regulations on how to deal with these people, but some of the requirements are not even observed. One reason for this, for example, is that so many refugees arrived at once and the authorities are overwhelmed with them. Then I wanted to know more and talked to people from my home country who were affected. And that's how the idea came about to investigate the whole thing scientifically and to write my bachelor's thesis about it," says Katharina Babl.
After her training, the qualified optician decided to study social work at IU while working and plans to do her master's degree from autumn 2023. "In any case, it will be distance learning again," says Katharina. "In distance learning, I particularly appreciated not having to travel to campus and not having to rely on any appointments. I was able to take all the exams very flexibly with short registration deadlines, so I could do everything at my own pace, when and where I wanted."
After her official bachelor's degree, Katharina Babl will take over the area of housing counselling and the specialist office for caring relatives at her current employer. In her new position, the IU graduate already has many plans. In her projects, for example, she will primarily work for better structures and a more varied range of services for caring relatives in the district of Traunstein.
About the IU Diversity Award
IU International University of Applied Sciences has presented the IU Diversity Award twice a year since 2018. The jury consists of a ten-member team of employees from teaching, the examination office, equal opportunities and other departments. IU students from Germany and abroad have the opportunity to submit their bachelor's or master's thesis. The IU Diversity Award is intended to contribute to raising public awareness of the research field of diversity and is endowed with a prize of 500 euros. For more information on diversity and inclusion measures at IU, please visit: iu.de/en/university/diversity/.
With nearly 130,000 students, IU International University of Applied Sciences (IU) is the largest university in Germany. The private, state-recognised educational institution, based in Erfurt, began teaching in 2000 and now has 37 campuses. IU stands for maximum flexibility in study: whether through dual study, distance learning or on campus – students from over 160 nations tailor their educational path to suit their individual circumstances. With more than 200 degree programmes at bachelor’s, master’s and MBA level, IU imparts practical skills. Innovative learning concepts foster targeted, future-proof skills for an increasingly AI-driven world of work. A modern, digitally supported learning environment and the use of artificial intelligence enable effective, personalised learning. As a pioneer in this field, IU has developed its own digital learning companion, ‘Syntea’, which has been in use since 2023. A network of over 15,000 companies – including Motel One, Vodafone, AWO and Deutsche Bahn – makes IU a strong partner in the training of skilled workers and consistently links academic teaching with practical experience. Further information at: iu.org