Member Institutions of the Joint Academic Partnership
The Joint Academic Partnership “Media and Communications” was founded in December
2018 under the umbrella of the Bavarian Academic Forum – BayWISS by University of
Passau, Bundeswehr University Munich and the University of Applied Sciences Neu-Ulm;
University of Passau acts as lead university.
We look forward to new members in our Joint Academic Partnership! If there is a thematic fit, any Bavarian university management can informally apply for a university membership, provided that ideas or partners for cooperation projects are available. A contact partner must be named in the application.
Interested? Don't hesitate to get in touch with our coordinator.
People in our Joint Academic Partnership

Our Joint Academic Partnership is a platform and network for excellent researchers – experienced senior experts, post-docs and (aspiring) doctoral candidates.
Directors
Each BayWISS Joint Academic Partnership has its headquarters at a Bavarian university and/or University of Applied Sciences. A steering committee with equal representation ensures academic quality at the Joint Academic Partnership and decides upon the admission of doctoral projects and universities, upon the themes, the distribution of funds and questions regarding human resource
Prof. Dr. Barbara Brandstetter
Neu-Ulm University of Applied Sciences
Prof. Dr. Barbara Brandstetter
Neu-Ulm University of Applied SciencesProfessor for Economic Journalism (zur Profilseite)
Dr Barbara Brandstetter has been a professor for Economic Journalism at Neu-Ulm University of Applied Sciences since 2011. She is head of the Media & User Experience Competence Centre and is responsible for the focal area of Cross Media in the InformationManagement and Corporate Communications study programme. Barbara Brandstetter has long-standing professional experience as an editor in economic and financial editorial offices
(including Welt, Welt am Sonntag, Berliner Morgenpost). Her thematic focus lies in pension schemes, taxes, insurances, and financial investments. Her fields of research encompass business and consumer journalism, usability & UK as well as media economics. She studied romance studies (linguistics), economics, and journalism in Hamburg, and completed an economic traineeship at Axel Springer school of journalism. Barbara Brandstetter is a member of the administrative council of Stiftung Warentest (leading German consumer safety group), of the advisory committee of Marktwächter Finanzen and on the jury for journalistic prizes. Her reference book “Verbraucherjournalismus” (consumer
journalism) was published in 2014. In 2017, she published the textbook “Wirtschaft – Basiswissen für die Medienpraxis” (Economy – Basic Knowledge for Media Practice) (co-author: Steffen Range). Brandstetter writes a regular column on financial themes (asset issues) in the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung.
Projects:
-
Ethical dimensions of immersive journalism
from Lukas Kick in the Joint Academic Partnership communications, media & arts -
Panama Papers and football leaks. The way in which international research associations and publishing networks are transforming investigative journalism.
from Thomas Eckerl in the Joint Academic Partnership communications, media & arts
Prof. Dr. Oliver Hahn
University of Passau
Direktoriumsmitglied
Prof. Dr. Oliver Hahn
University of PassauProfessor Oliver Hahn, PhD, is Professor of Journalism and Vice-Dean for Internationalization and Research in the Faculty of Arts and Humanities at the University of Passau, Germany. He is specialized in international comparative research of journalism, media and communication. He serves as Co-Vice-Chair of the Journalism Research and Education (JRE) section of the International Association for Media and Communication Research (IAMCR) and as Liaison Officer to the World Journalism Education Council (WJEC).
Direktoriumsmitglied
Projects:
-
Narration research in the delicate balance between (counter-) public spheres, media manipulation and propaganda
from Thorsten Vellmerk in the Joint Academic Partnership communications, media & arts -
Panama Papers and football leaks. The way in which international research associations and publishing networks are transforming investigative journalism.
from Thomas Eckerl in the Joint Academic Partnership communications, media & arts -
Being German as a framed narrative? A constructive systemic approach.
from Andreas Paulweber in the Joint Academic Partnership communications, media & arts -
Ethical dimensions of immersive journalism
from Lukas Kick in the Joint Academic Partnership communications, media & arts -
Mass Media and Governance: Issues and Challenges to Free Press in contemporary Pakistan
from Awais Ahmad in the Joint Academic Partnership communications, media & arts
Prof. Dr. Natascha Zowislo-Grünewald
University of the Bundeswehr Munich
Prof. Dr. Natascha Zowislo-Grünewald
University of the Bundeswehr MunichInstitut for organisational communication.
www.strategic-communication-management.de
Projects:
-
Mass Media and Governance: Issues and Challenges to Free Press in contemporary Pakistan
from Awais Ahmad in the Joint Academic Partnership communications, media & arts -
Being German as a framed narrative? A constructive systemic approach.
from Andreas Paulweber in the Joint Academic Partnership communications, media & arts -
Narration research in the delicate balance between (counter-) public spheres, media manipulation and propaganda
from Thorsten Vellmerk in the Joint Academic Partnership communications, media & arts -
Immersive media and war reporting: uses, potentials and challenges of 360° video to narrate armed conflicts
from David Castro Lotero in the Joint Academic Partnership communications, media & arts
Steering Committee
A steering committee with equal representation ensures academic quality at the Joint Academic Partnership and decides upon the admission of doctoral projects and universities, upon the themes and strategic issues.
Prof. Dr. Barbara Brandstetter
Neu-Ulm University of Applied Sciences
Prof. Dr. Barbara Brandstetter
Neu-Ulm University of Applied SciencesProfessor for Economic Journalism (zur Profilseite)
Dr Barbara Brandstetter has been a professor for Economic Journalism at Neu-Ulm University of Applied Sciences since 2011. She is head of the Media & User Experience Competence Centre and is responsible for the focal area of Cross Media in the InformationManagement and Corporate Communications study programme. Barbara Brandstetter has long-standing professional experience as an editor in economic and financial editorial offices
(including Welt, Welt am Sonntag, Berliner Morgenpost). Her thematic focus lies in pension schemes, taxes, insurances, and financial investments. Her fields of research encompass business and consumer journalism, usability & UK as well as media economics. She studied romance studies (linguistics), economics, and journalism in Hamburg, and completed an economic traineeship at Axel Springer school of journalism. Barbara Brandstetter is a member of the administrative council of Stiftung Warentest (leading German consumer safety group), of the advisory committee of Marktwächter Finanzen and on the jury for journalistic prizes. Her reference book “Verbraucherjournalismus” (consumer
journalism) was published in 2014. In 2017, she published the textbook “Wirtschaft – Basiswissen für die Medienpraxis” (Economy – Basic Knowledge for Media Practice) (co-author: Steffen Range). Brandstetter writes a regular column on financial themes (asset issues) in the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung.
Projects:
-
Ethical dimensions of immersive journalism
from Lukas Kick in the Joint Academic Partnership communications, media & arts -
Panama Papers and football leaks. The way in which international research associations and publishing networks are transforming investigative journalism.
from Thomas Eckerl in the Joint Academic Partnership communications, media & arts
Prof. Dr. Dominic Busch
University of the Bundeswehr Munich
Prof. Dr. Dominic Busch
University of the Bundeswehr MunichProfessor für interkulturelle Kommunikation und Konfliktforschung (zur Profilseite)
Prof. Dr. Dominic Busch ist Professor für interkulturelle Kommunikation und Konfliktforschung an der Fakultät für Humanwissenschaften der Universität der Bundeswehr München. Dominic Busch erforscht kulturtheoretische Fassungen und Rahmungen von alltags- und wissenschaftlichen Verständnissen von Begriffen wie Kultur, Interkulturalität und interkultureller Kommunikation. Aus diskurstheoretischen und Paradigmen vergleichender Sicht wird erkundet, wie und wozu Kulturbegriffe verwendet werden, welche funktionalen und strategischen Rollen ihnen zugeschrieben werden und wie paradigmatische Weiterentwicklungen ausgehandelt werden.
Project:
-
Die kommunikative Aushandlung technischer Entwicklung im Spannungsfeld von Demokratie und Autokratie - Das medial vermittelte Chinabild und daraus resultierende Implikationen für interkulturelle Trainings
from Manuela Krawagna-Nöbauer in the Joint Academic Partnership communications, media & arts
Prof. Dr. Michelle Cummings-Koether
Deggendorf Institute of Technology
Prof. Dr. Michelle Cummings-Koether
Deggendorf Institute of TechnologyProfessur für Intercultural Management (zur Profilseite)
Prof. Dr. Michelle Cummings-Koether ist Professorin für Intercultural Management an der Technischen Hochschule Deggendorf, Fakultät European Campus Rottal Inn in Pfarrkirchen. Sie ist Co Leiterin des THD Institute für Gesellschaftstransformation (I-ETOS) und koordiniert das THD Universitätszertifikat „Intercultural Competences“. Außerdem ist sie als Redakteurin wissenschaftlicher Fachzeitschriften tätig, unter anderem für das Journal of Applied Interdisciplinary Research (JAIR) und das Bavarian Journal of Applied Sciences (BJAS).
In Lehre und Forschung verbindet sie Interkulturelles Management mit Fragen der gesellschaftlichen Transformation. Im Zentrum stehen interkulturelle Kompetenz, Werte, Erwartungen und deren Einfluss auf Zusammenarbeit, Institutionen und Lernumgebungen, insbesondere in internationalen und hochdiversen Kontexten. Methodisch arbeitet sie interdisziplinär und kombiniert qualitative und quantitative Ansätze, um kulturelle Muster und Dynamiken in Organisationen, Bildung und öffentlicher Kommunikation präzise zu erfassen.
Ein weiterer Schwerpunkt ihrer Arbeit liegt an der Schnittstelle von Kultur, Medien und Technologie. Dazu gehören Analysen politischer Kommunikation und öffentlicher Diskurse sowie aktuelle Forschungen zu Kultur und künstlicher Intelligenz, etwa im Hinblick auf Bias, Fairness und die Bedingungen verantwortungsvoller KI-Nutzung in internationalen Kontexten. Ihre Publikationstätigkeit spiegelt diese thematische Breite wider und reicht von Beiträgen in Sammelbänden und Konferenz Proceedings bis zu wissenschaftlichen Artikeln und Herausgebertätigkeiten.
Project:
-
Die kommunikative Aushandlung technischer Entwicklung im Spannungsfeld von Demokratie und Autokratie - Das medial vermittelte Chinabild und daraus resultierende Implikationen für interkulturelle Trainings
from Manuela Krawagna-Nöbauer in the Joint Academic Partnership communications, media & arts
Prof. Dr. Ralf Hohlfeld
University of Passau
Prof. Dr. Ralf Hohlfeld
University of Passauchair of communication science (zur Profilseite)
Lehrstuhl für Kommunikationswissenschaft
Projects:
-
Political journalists on Twitter: A framing analysis of the Ibiza Affair in German-Austrian comparison
from Maximilian Eder in the Joint Academic Partnership communications, media & arts -
The influence of cross-media workflows in newsrooms on working conditions and the editorial output at the individual level
from Michael Sengl in the Joint Academic Partnership communications, media & arts
Prof. Dr. Martin Müller
Ansbach University of Applied Sciences
Prof. Dr. Martin Müller
Ansbach University of Applied SciencesHead of public relation and corporate communication studies (PUK)
Currently 12 doctoral candidates are active members in our Joint Academic Partnership communication, media & arts.
Awais Ahmad
University of Passau
Project: Mass Media and Governance: Issues and Challenges to Free Press in contemporary Pakistan
Regina Brandhuber
Catholic University of Eichstätt-Ingolstadt
David Castro Lotero
University of Passau
Thomas Eckerl
University of Passau
N. N.
Universität der Bundeswehr München (HAW-Teil)
Manuela Krawagna-Nöbauer
Deggendorf Institute of Technology
Andreas Paulweber
University of the Bundeswehr Munich
Project: Being German as a framed narrative? A constructive systemic approach.
Martin Ruske
Ansbach University of Applied Sciences
Katharina Schöppl
Ansbach University of Applied Sciences
Thorsten Vellmerk
University of the Bundeswehr Munich
Alumni
3 members of our Joint Academic Partnership communication, media & arts have successfully completed their doctorate.
Maximilian Eder
University of the Bundeswehr Munich
Lea Sophia Lehner
University of Passau
Michael Sengl
University of Passau
Currently 7 professors are active members in our Joint Academic Partnership communication, media & arts.
Prof. Dr. Barbara Brandstetter
Neu-Ulm University of Applied Sciences
Prof. Dr. Barbara Brandstetter
Neu-Ulm University of Applied SciencesProfessor for Economic Journalism (zur Profilseite)
Dr Barbara Brandstetter has been a professor for Economic Journalism at Neu-Ulm University of Applied Sciences since 2011. She is head of the Media & User Experience Competence Centre and is responsible for the focal area of Cross Media in the InformationManagement and Corporate Communications study programme. Barbara Brandstetter has long-standing professional experience as an editor in economic and financial editorial offices
(including Welt, Welt am Sonntag, Berliner Morgenpost). Her thematic focus lies in pension schemes, taxes, insurances, and financial investments. Her fields of research encompass business and consumer journalism, usability & UK as well as media economics. She studied romance studies (linguistics), economics, and journalism in Hamburg, and completed an economic traineeship at Axel Springer school of journalism. Barbara Brandstetter is a member of the administrative council of Stiftung Warentest (leading German consumer safety group), of the advisory committee of Marktwächter Finanzen and on the jury for journalistic prizes. Her reference book “Verbraucherjournalismus” (consumer
journalism) was published in 2014. In 2017, she published the textbook “Wirtschaft – Basiswissen für die Medienpraxis” (Economy – Basic Knowledge for Media Practice) (co-author: Steffen Range). Brandstetter writes a regular column on financial themes (asset issues) in the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung.
Projects:
-
Ethical dimensions of immersive journalism
from Lukas Kick in the Joint Academic Partnership communications, media & arts -
Panama Papers and football leaks. The way in which international research associations and publishing networks are transforming investigative journalism.
from Thomas Eckerl in the Joint Academic Partnership communications, media & arts
Prof. Dr. Dominic Busch
University of the Bundeswehr Munich
Prof. Dr. Dominic Busch
University of the Bundeswehr MunichProfessor für interkulturelle Kommunikation und Konfliktforschung (zur Profilseite)
Prof. Dr. Dominic Busch ist Professor für interkulturelle Kommunikation und Konfliktforschung an der Fakultät für Humanwissenschaften der Universität der Bundeswehr München. Dominic Busch erforscht kulturtheoretische Fassungen und Rahmungen von alltags- und wissenschaftlichen Verständnissen von Begriffen wie Kultur, Interkulturalität und interkultureller Kommunikation. Aus diskurstheoretischen und Paradigmen vergleichender Sicht wird erkundet, wie und wozu Kulturbegriffe verwendet werden, welche funktionalen und strategischen Rollen ihnen zugeschrieben werden und wie paradigmatische Weiterentwicklungen ausgehandelt werden.
Project:
-
Die kommunikative Aushandlung technischer Entwicklung im Spannungsfeld von Demokratie und Autokratie - Das medial vermittelte Chinabild und daraus resultierende Implikationen für interkulturelle Trainings
from Manuela Krawagna-Nöbauer in the Joint Academic Partnership communications, media & arts
Prof. Dr. Michelle Cummings-Koether
Deggendorf Institute of Technology
Prof. Dr. Michelle Cummings-Koether
Deggendorf Institute of TechnologyProfessur für Intercultural Management (zur Profilseite)
Prof. Dr. Michelle Cummings-Koether ist Professorin für Intercultural Management an der Technischen Hochschule Deggendorf, Fakultät European Campus Rottal Inn in Pfarrkirchen. Sie ist Co Leiterin des THD Institute für Gesellschaftstransformation (I-ETOS) und koordiniert das THD Universitätszertifikat „Intercultural Competences“. Außerdem ist sie als Redakteurin wissenschaftlicher Fachzeitschriften tätig, unter anderem für das Journal of Applied Interdisciplinary Research (JAIR) und das Bavarian Journal of Applied Sciences (BJAS).
In Lehre und Forschung verbindet sie Interkulturelles Management mit Fragen der gesellschaftlichen Transformation. Im Zentrum stehen interkulturelle Kompetenz, Werte, Erwartungen und deren Einfluss auf Zusammenarbeit, Institutionen und Lernumgebungen, insbesondere in internationalen und hochdiversen Kontexten. Methodisch arbeitet sie interdisziplinär und kombiniert qualitative und quantitative Ansätze, um kulturelle Muster und Dynamiken in Organisationen, Bildung und öffentlicher Kommunikation präzise zu erfassen.
Ein weiterer Schwerpunkt ihrer Arbeit liegt an der Schnittstelle von Kultur, Medien und Technologie. Dazu gehören Analysen politischer Kommunikation und öffentlicher Diskurse sowie aktuelle Forschungen zu Kultur und künstlicher Intelligenz, etwa im Hinblick auf Bias, Fairness und die Bedingungen verantwortungsvoller KI-Nutzung in internationalen Kontexten. Ihre Publikationstätigkeit spiegelt diese thematische Breite wider und reicht von Beiträgen in Sammelbänden und Konferenz Proceedings bis zu wissenschaftlichen Artikeln und Herausgebertätigkeiten.
Project:
-
Die kommunikative Aushandlung technischer Entwicklung im Spannungsfeld von Demokratie und Autokratie - Das medial vermittelte Chinabild und daraus resultierende Implikationen für interkulturelle Trainings
from Manuela Krawagna-Nöbauer in the Joint Academic Partnership communications, media & arts
Prof. Dr. Oliver Hahn
University of Passau
Direktoriumsmitglied
Prof. Dr. Oliver Hahn
University of PassauProfessor Oliver Hahn, PhD, is Professor of Journalism and Vice-Dean for Internationalization and Research in the Faculty of Arts and Humanities at the University of Passau, Germany. He is specialized in international comparative research of journalism, media and communication. He serves as Co-Vice-Chair of the Journalism Research and Education (JRE) section of the International Association for Media and Communication Research (IAMCR) and as Liaison Officer to the World Journalism Education Council (WJEC).
Direktoriumsmitglied
Projects:
-
Narration research in the delicate balance between (counter-) public spheres, media manipulation and propaganda
from Thorsten Vellmerk in the Joint Academic Partnership communications, media & arts -
Panama Papers and football leaks. The way in which international research associations and publishing networks are transforming investigative journalism.
from Thomas Eckerl in the Joint Academic Partnership communications, media & arts -
Being German as a framed narrative? A constructive systemic approach.
from Andreas Paulweber in the Joint Academic Partnership communications, media & arts -
Ethical dimensions of immersive journalism
from Lukas Kick in the Joint Academic Partnership communications, media & arts -
Mass Media and Governance: Issues and Challenges to Free Press in contemporary Pakistan
from Awais Ahmad in the Joint Academic Partnership communications, media & arts
Prof. Dr. Ralf Hohlfeld
University of Passau
Prof. Dr. Ralf Hohlfeld
University of Passauchair of communication science (zur Profilseite)
Lehrstuhl für Kommunikationswissenschaft
Projects:
-
Political journalists on Twitter: A framing analysis of the Ibiza Affair in German-Austrian comparison
from Maximilian Eder in the Joint Academic Partnership communications, media & arts -
The influence of cross-media workflows in newsrooms on working conditions and the editorial output at the individual level
from Michael Sengl in the Joint Academic Partnership communications, media & arts
Prof. Dr. Martin Müller
Ansbach University of Applied Sciences
Prof. Dr. Martin Müller
Ansbach University of Applied SciencesHead of public relation and corporate communication studies (PUK)
Prof. Dr. Natascha Zowislo-Grünewald
University of the Bundeswehr Munich
Prof. Dr. Natascha Zowislo-Grünewald
University of the Bundeswehr MunichInstitut for organisational communication.
www.strategic-communication-management.de
Projects:
-
Mass Media and Governance: Issues and Challenges to Free Press in contemporary Pakistan
from Awais Ahmad in the Joint Academic Partnership communications, media & arts -
Being German as a framed narrative? A constructive systemic approach.
from Andreas Paulweber in the Joint Academic Partnership communications, media & arts -
Narration research in the delicate balance between (counter-) public spheres, media manipulation and propaganda
from Thorsten Vellmerk in the Joint Academic Partnership communications, media & arts -
Immersive media and war reporting: uses, potentials and challenges of 360° video to narrate armed conflicts
from David Castro Lotero in the Joint Academic Partnership communications, media & arts
Prof. Dr. Annika Sehl
Catholic University of Eichstätt-Ingolstadt

Become a member!
Our college thrives on a strong network made up of experienced researchers and motivated early careers researchers who work together across different types of universities and achieve excellent results.
Coordinator
Get in touch. We look forward to your questions and ideas for our Joint Academic Partnership communication, media & arts.
Mandy Fox
Koordinatorin BayWISS-Verbundkolleg communication, media & arts
Universität Passau
Philosophische Fakultät
Professur für Journalistik
Centre for Media and Communication
Innstr. 33a
94032 Passau
Telephone: +49 851 5092999
kommunikation-medien.vk [ at ] baywiss.de








