Dr. Thordis Neger

How can we make Germany and science fairer, more colourful and more tolerant?

By offering opportunities and prospects to international students — our future specialists — in Germany. Through evidence-based foundations, innovative projects and effective quality assurance, I will ensure these students receive the support they need to succeed here, contributing actively to the diversity and strength of our society.

I give a voice to the needs of international students. Thus, my focus is on applied research and the data-driven optimisation of study conditions.

Academic background

Before my work in quality management, my academic focus was on speech and language therapy and psycholinguistics. I conducted research into topics such as individual differences in auditory language processing and their relationship to cognitive abilities, age and implicit learning mechanisms (statistical learning). The practical adaptation and application of my research findings, for example in the rehabilitation of cochlear implant patients, has always been one of my key priorities.

Key Responsibilities in Quality Management

Collecting relevant data, evaluating it, scientifically, processing it and translating it into concrete recommendations for action remains my core focus in quality management today:

• Internationalisation & Academic Success: I design and optimise our university’s own survey system (e.g. the ‘Freshers’ Survey’) to make the specific needs and challenges faced by our (international) students measurable and visible.
• Expectation Management: I develop and evaluate data-driven approaches and communication tools to effectively manage student expectations in everyday university life.
• Knowledge transfer: I prepare complex key performance indicators for university stakeholders and regularly present our research findings and proposed courses of action at specialist conferences (including the University:Future Festival, the TURN Conference, GATE-Germany (DAAD), the DAAD Annual Conference on International Students, and the Annual Conference of the German Society for Higher Education Research).