Claire O'Reilly

Claire's undergraduate years were spent at the University of Limerick (BA Law and European Studies) and the University of Education, Karlsruhe. Postgraduate studies were completed at the Centre for Irish-German Studies, University of Limerick, Friedrich Schiller University of Jena and the University of Regensburg, where she also undertook postdoctoral research funded by the RIA and DAAD under Prof. Thomas, Professor of Social- and Cross-Cultural Psychology. She came to University College Cork in 2005 from Chemnitz University of Technology where she had completed three of the six years as Junior Professor of Intercultural Training and International Relations. Claire has acted as a referee for peer-reviewed journals such as Study Abroad Research (SAR), Info DaF, the Journal of Virtual Exchange and for monographs (Manchester University Press; Peter Lang, Oxford and others). She was co-chair of the German Studies Association of Ireland (2014-2016), and is currently External Examiner for German in SETU, Waterford. She has been Academic Coordinator of the BComm International (German) since 2005. Drawing on her experience and contacts in Germany, she has set up new university collaborations with the Universities of Jena, Regensburg, Passau and recently in Würzburg and Hildesheim. Claire is also the Departmental GILBA (Organisation of German-Irish Lawyers and Business Association) coordinator for German, and organised the annual GILBA meeting/Third-level Prize-Giving ceremony for excellence in German awards in UCC, December, 2022.

- German-Irish Relations My research in the field of Irish-German relations has traversed different thematic strands over a period of 25 years, from student exchange and study abroad, to contrasting Irish-German business and management approaches, spanning migration histories of Ireland and Germany and including images of Self and Other in contemporary literature. Research on biographies in the field of Irish-German relations (such as Daniel Binchy, Christabel Bielenberg, Charlotte von der Schulenburg and others) has been my most recent preoccupation which includes archival work and translation of letters into English. In 2020 I organised an international symposium on the theme, entitled “Lives and Legacies: Lesser-Known Biographies in Irish-German Relations” in UCC (March 12). - Exchange Research / Study Abroad Research and Intercultural Communication Understanding the experiences of Irish students in Germany, and seeking to maximise their learning while abroad, has been one of my guiding research questions for which I have secured grants from three funding bodies locally and nationally while working at UL (with Dr G. Holfter) and UCC. This research has sought to understand the experiences of students qualitatively, and chart their socio-cultural learning journeys as a departure from the predominant emphasis in research for years on language progression and linguistic outcomes. Insights from this research, together with the body of literature on Study Abroad, informs and shapes my teaching and the preparation of students to go abroad. The role of Intercultural Communication, and the inclusion of formal education measures to teach culture and culture awareness, is informed primarily, but not only, by German academic discourse and some of my publications in the field of Intercultural Communication. A review of a monograph published in

All my teaching is research-led and connected to learning outside and beyond the classroom. The following areas summarise my current teaching interests: - German-Irish Relations and German-Irish biographies. Classes reflect the development of Irish-German relations from the 8th century including the middle ages, spanning the World Wars, and including recent diplomatic interaction. Notable travel writers are also featured. Students are encouraged to research and present on topics that will benefit them personally and professionally. In March 2020 students attending this course were invited to attend a Symposium I organised around this topic entitled “Lives and Legacies: Lesser-Known Figures in Irish-German Relations" (keynote addresses were delivered by Prof Gisela Holfter (UL) and Clodagh Finn, author of "A Time to Risk All", a biography of Mary Elmes). In 2020-2023, in another module GE2131 (and in collaboration with the Goethe Institute Dublin), BComm International (German) students had the opportunity to work with a German company and develop a new business idea. In 2021, students in GE2131 won first and second prizes for their Business German projects competing against students in other third level institutions across Ireland. - Pre-departure Curriculum on Study Abroad. Since 2005 I have designed and delivered preparatory courses, integrating best practice in study abroad, for students before they embark on their studies in Year 3. Students are prepared for cultural, linguistic and academic adjustment of studying abroad and the many life-changes that the year entails. The aim is to empower students to become purposeful and intentional learners and develop a personal roadmap for their year abroad goals. This course draws on studies in intercultural communication, cross-cultural psychology, year abroad studies, language role-plays, reflective