Benjamin Jörissen

About:

Prof. Dr. Benjamin Jörissen is Full Professor of Education with a focus on Culture and Aesthetics and Chairholder of the UNESCO Chair in Arts and Culture in Education at the Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (Germany). The Chair’s research aims to contribute to an understanding of the role of aesthetic, arts, and cultural education in a transforming and diverse world. Fields of work include the development of an understanding of Bildung with regard to cultural resilience and cultural sustainability, empirical research in postdigital culture including several research projects on digitalization in arts and cultural education. Jörissen is, amongst others, member of the European Academy of Sciences and Arts, Speaker of the UNESCO UNITWIN Network Arts Education Research for Cultural Diversity and Sustainable Development, as well as member of the Expert Committee on Intangible Cultural Heritage and the Expert Committee on Culture of the German UNESCO Commission.

As an educational scientist, Jörissen known for his work on aesthetics, media and educational theory. His work focuses on the concept of Bildung, which he understands as a relational, i.e., superindividual, transformative and dynamic process of self and societal development. Within this framework, he explores the role of digital media and technology in education, particularly in terms of how they impact the cultural and societal dimensions of Bildung. Overall, Jörissen’s work is notable for its interdisciplinary approach, drawing on philosophy, critical theory, cultural studies, media theory, and qualitative (reconstructive) research in order to develop a nuanced and critical understanding of education as a dynamic and transformative process.