Committee

Since the general meeting on 27th June 2012 the committee consists of the following person:

Chairman
Joachim Klaus

 

Biography

Joachim Klaus – born in 1942 – studied Germanistik, Anglistik and Romanistik at the Universities in Heidelberg, Lyon, Grenoble and Tuebingen and graduated in the two teaching exams (Deutsch / Französisch). After 2 years of teaching he changed over to the University of Tuebingen and in 1971 to the University of Karlsruhe (now Karlsruhe Institute of Technology).

His university research was dedicated to social and pedagogical areas in “student counselling”, “open and distance learning” and the special field of “informatics for the blind”.

At the University of Karlsruhe he was the founder and director of

“Student Counselling and Guidance Centre” (1971-1993)

“Centre for Open and Distance Learning” (1984-2007)

“Study Centre for the Visually Impaired Students” (1987-2011)

Joachim Klaus was head of a lot of national and international programmes, member of different national and international organisations, committees, and from 1998-2000 President of FEDORA (European Forum for Student Guidance).

He received several awards, among them

2005 “Austrian Medal of Honor for Science and Arts”

2007 “Brighter Future Award” of the ECDL Foundation in Dublin

2008 “First Degree Meda of the Fac. of Nuclear Science and Physical Engineering” of the Czech Technical University of Prague

2009 “Silver Medal of Upper Austria”

2010 “Miriam van Acker Award for Leadership in the Disability Community”

2010 “ICCHP Roland Wagner Award” of the Austrian Computer Society in Vienna

2010 “Fridericiana Medal of Merit” of the KIT

 

Joachim Klaus is one of the founding members of the DEF.