A high level of orientation to practice and research excellence – just a sample of the praise heaped on the Institut Arbeit und Wirtschaft (IAW) [Institute of Labor and Economy] over the past year. One accolade awarded by external experts refers to the cooperation between the IAW and the Bremen Chamber of Labor, which 40 years after it was founded is now an established element of social scientific research in Bremen. This cooperation stands apart due to its focus on the interests of the working population. “This form of cooperation is unique in Germany. It started as an experiment, and today we can look back over four decades of successful cooperation between the University and the Bremen Chamber of Labor”, says IAW director Dr.Günter Warsewa proudly.
Last Friday there was a festive evening to mark the occasion of its 40th anniversary. The topics touched on were not only concerned with the past, though. At the center of debate were the future challenges facing the interests of labor and related research.
The IAW was set up in 2001 as a joint project of the University of Bremen and the Bremen Chamber of Labor. It was successor to the research cooperation first agreed between the University and the Chamber of Workers in 1970. Today, the Institute continues the 40-year tradition of cooperation on interdisciplinary research with regard to social and economic issues in Bremen. The main focus of the work done by IAW has always been concerned with the impacts of societal change on labor and the lives of the working population in the region.
Today, the Institute employs 40 people in the following four areas of research: The Transition of Work Society, Qualification Profiles and Skills Acquisition, Town and Region, and The Economy and Finances. The IAW cooperation agreement between the University and the Bremen Chamber of Labor prescribes a scientific evaluation procedure on the part of external reviewers every five years. The future development of the institute is shaped on the basis of the results of this evaluation. Who knows? Perhaps for a further 40 years.
For more information, please contact:
Universität Bremen
Institut Arbeit und Wirtschaft
Dr.Günter Warsewa
Phone. 0421 218 4207
e-mail: gwarsewaprotect me ?!iaw.uni-bremenprotect me ?!.de
www.iaw.uni-bremen.de
