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Melissa Laufer, Dr.

Melissa Laufer war Leiterin des Forschungsprogramms Wissen & Gesellschaft am Alexander von Humboldt Institut für Internet und Gesellschaft (HIIG). Mit ihrem interdisziplinären Blick untersuchte Melissa Digitalisierungsprozesse im Wissenschaftssystem und in der Gesellschaft.

Relevante Publikationen

Journal articles and conference proceedings (15)

Laufer, M., Schäfer, L.O., Kuper, F., & Deacon, B. (2025). Building resilient and creative universities: Exploring the new normal for eight universities across Europe. Discover Education, 4, 1-14. DOI: 10.1007/s44217-025-00580-w Weitere Informationen

Laufer, M., Kuper, F., Deacon, B., Sievering, M., & Schäfer, L. O. (2025). Strategic ambiguities: Exploring the role of digitalisation strategies in university teachers’ engagement with educational technology. European Journal of Higher Education, 1-19. DOI: 10.1080/21568235.2025.2486788 Weitere Informationen

Deacon, B., Laufer, M., Mende, M. A., Tschache, T., & Schäfer, L. O. (2025). Resisting digital change at the university: An exploration into triggers and organisational countermeasures. European Journal of Higher Education, 1–24. DOI: 10.1080/21568235.2025.2512735 Weitere Informationen

Laufer, M., Deacon, B., Mende, M.A., & Schaefer, L.O. (2024). Leading with Trust: How University Leaders can Foster Innovation with Educational Technology through Organizational Trust. Innovative Higher Education. DOI: 10.1007/s10755-024-09733-5 Weitere Informationen

Fecher, B., Hebing, M., Laufer, M., Pohle, J., Sofsky, F. (2023). Friend or foe? Exploring the implications of large language models on the science system. AI & Society, 38. DOI: 10.1007/s00146-023-01791-1 Weitere Informationen

Fecher, B., Hebing, M., Laufer, M., Pohle, J., & Sofsky, F. (2023). Friend or foe? Exploring the implications of large language models on the science system. AI & Soc. DOI: 10.1007/s00146-023-01791-1 Weitere Informationen

Timm, M., Deacon, B., Laufer, M, Schäfer, L. O. & Tschache, T. (2022). Atomisierung, Innovation und Organisation: Qualität der Lehre im ersten Digitalsemester. In M.Bigos, J. Hiebl, & I. Steinhardt (Eds.). Soziologische Betrachtungen zur Digitalisierung der Lehre (in der COVID-19-Pandemie) [Special issue] die hochschullehre, 8(28), 395-408. DOI: 10.3278/HSL2228W Weitere Informationen

Sabzalieva, E., El Masri, A., Joshi, A., Laufer, M., Trilokekar, R. & Haas, C. (2022). Ideal immigrants in name only? Shifting constructions and divergent discourses on the international student-immigration policy nexus in Australia, Canada, and Germany. Policy Reviews in Higher Education, 6(2), 178-204. DOI: 10.1080/23322969.2022.2096106 Weitere Informationen

Deacon, B., Laufer, M. & Schäfer, L. O. (2022). Infusing Educational Technologies in the Heart of the University – A Systematic Literature Review from an Organisational Perspective. British Journal of Educational Technology, 0(0), 1-26. DOI: 10.1111/bjet.13277 Weitere Informationen

Huisman, J., Vlegels, J., Daenekindt, S., Seeber, M. & Laufer, M. (2021). How satisfied are international students? The role of town, gown and motivations. Compare: A Journal of Comparative and International Education. DOI: 10.1080/03057925.2020.1867826 Weitere Informationen

Laufer, M., Leiser, A., Deacon, B., Perrin de Brichambaut, P., Fecher, B., Kobsoda, C., & Hesse, F. (2021). Digital higher education: A divider or bridge builder? Leadership perspectives on EdTech in a COVID-19 reality. International Journal of Educational Technology in Higher Education, 18(51). DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/s41239‐021‐00287‐6 Weitere Informationen

Elsholz, U., Fecher, B., Deacon, B., Schäfer, L.O., & Laufer, M. (2021). Implikationen der Covid-19-Pandemie für digitale Lehre: Organisierte Freiheit als Veränderungsparadigma. MedienPädagogik: Zeitschrift für Theorie Und Praxis Der Medienbildung, 40(CoViD-19), 472-86. DOI: 10.21240/mpaed/40/2021.11.29.X Weitere Informationen

Laufer, M. (2020). Crossing academic borders: exploring the role of social capital in academic hiring. Comparative Education, 56(3). DOI: 10.1080/03050068.2020.1782603 Weitere Informationen

Laufer, M. (2019). Spinning stories: Communicating internationalization through organizational storytelling. Journal of Studies in International Education, 1-15. DOI: 10.1177/1028315319893652 Weitere Informationen

Laufer, M. & Gorup, M. (2019). The invisible Others: stories of international doctoral student drop-out. Higher Education, 78(1), 165-181. DOI: 10.1007/s10734-018-0337-z Weitere Informationen

Book contributions and chapters (5)

Schäfer, L. O., Deacon, B. & Laufer, M. (2023). Die Rolle der Digitalisierungsstrategien bei der Implementierung digitaler Lehre. In Lorenz Mrohs, Julia Franz, Dominik Herrmann, Konstantin Lindner & Thorsten Staake (Eds.), Digitale Kulturen der Lehre entwickeln. Perspektiven der Hochschuldidaktik. Wiesbaden: Springer VS. DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-658-43379-6_3 Weitere Informationen

Laufer, M. Deacon, B. & Schäfer, L. O. (2022). The Power of Informal Networks: How Middle Management, Central Leadership and Trust can Impact Innovation at the University. In F. W. Hesse, C. Kobsda & C. Schemmann, Digital Transformation of Higher Education—Global Learning Report 2022. (pp. 21-23). Berlin: Global Learning Council (GLC), Deutscher Akademischer Austauschdienst e.V. (DAAD), Times Higher Education (THE). DOI: 10.21241/ssoar.79627 Weitere Informationen

Laufer, M. (2017). Learning from Others, not about Others: investigating intercultural learning and intercultural competence in the university classroom. In R. Bettmann, V. Hinnenkamp, A. Satola & N. Schröer (Eds.), Die Hochschule als interkultureller Aushandlungsraum: Eine Bildungs-Exploration am Beispiel eines internationalen Studiengangs (pp. 181-199). Wiesbaden: Springer. Weitere Informationen

Bettmann, R., Hinnenkamp, V., Laufer, M. & Schröer, N. (2017). Interkulturelle Gruppenarbeit als Herausforderung. Vermeidungsstrategien und Chancen. In R. Bettmann, V. Hinnenkamp, A. Satola & N. Schröer (Eds.), Die Hochschule als interkultureller Aushandlungsraum: Eine Bildungs-Exploration am Beispiel eines internationalen Studiengangs (pp. 65-87). Wiesbaden: Springer VS. Weitere Informationen

Laufer, M. (2017). Breaking the code: exploring how academics secure employment abroad. In A. Woldegiyorgis, L. Rumbley & H. De Wit (Eds.), The Boston College Center for International Higher Education Year in Review, 2016 – 2017, 6 (pp. 25-27). Boston: Boston College Center for International Higher Education. Weitere Informationen

Other publications (11)

Deacon, B., & Laufer, M. (2024). Resistance to change: Challenges and opportunities in digital higher education. Digital society blog. Weitere Informationen

Laufer, M., Kuper, F., Mende, M. A., Schäfer, L. O., Tschache T., & Deacon, B. (2023). Organizing Digital Change at the University. The Practitioners’ Field Guide for Implementing Educational Technology. HIIG Impact Publication Series. Weitere Informationen

Fecher, B., Hebing, M., Laufer, M., Pohle, J., Sofsky, F. (2023). Friend or Foe? Exploring the Implications of Large Language Models on the Science System. Humboldt Institute for Internet and Society. Weitere Informationen

Laufer, M., Mende, M., & Sievering, M. (2023). EdTech: The secret to its implementation. Digital society blog. Weitere Informationen

Deacon, B., Laufer, M. & Sokolovska, N. (2022). Sharing knowledge: Impact of Covid-19 on digital teaching. Digital society blog. Weitere Informationen

Gorup, M., & Laufer, M. (2020). When Relationships Between Supervisors and Doctoral Researchers Go Wrong. Elephant in the Lab. Weitere Informationen

Laufer, M. & Gorup, M. (2020). Transferring research to practice: Exploring post-publication possibilities. ECHER Blog. Weitere Informationen

Laufer, M. & Deacon, B. (2020). The rapid digital turn: How are universities faring? Digital Society Blog. Weitere Informationen

Laufer, M. & Gorup, M. (2019). The invisible Others: stories of international doctoral student dropout. Supervising PhDs. Weitere Informationen

Laufer, M. (2016). Narrative Turn. Thema Hoger Onderwijs, 23 (1), 111-112. Weitere Informationen

Huisman, J., Brockerhoff, L. & Laufer, M. (2015). Quality in higher education: A literature review. Scoping Report for the Dutch Education Council. Weitere Informationen

Aktivitäten

Lectures and presentations (25)

28.11.2025 · Bronwen Deacon, Freia Kuper, Melissa Laufer

Framing the Digital Turn: A Critical Discourse Analysis of Resilience and EdTech Narratives in Higher Education

2025 SRHE International Research Conference. Society for Research into Higher Education (SRHE). East Midlands Conference Centre, Nottingham, United Kingdom.

28.11.2025 · Bronwen Deacon, Anna Aust, Melissa Laufer

Rethinking Resilience: Institutional Pathways through Disruption in Higher Education

2025 SRHE International Research Conference. Society for Research into Higher Education (SRHE). East Midlands Conference Centre, Nottingham, United Kingdom.

11.09.2025 · Bronwen Deacon, Freia Kuper, Marvin Sievering, Melissa Laufer

Ein Krisendiskurs über Resilienz und Bildungstechnologien an Hochschulen

20. Jahrestagung der Gesellschaft für Hochschulforschung (GfHf). Gesellschaft für Hochschulforschung (GfHf). Bildungscampus 6, Heilbronn, Germany.

05.09.2024 · Bronwen Deacon, Melissa Laufer, Maricia Aline Mende

Resisting Digital Change at Higher Education Institutions: Identifying Triggers and Countermeasures

CHER 36th Annual Conference. University of Luxembourg, Esch an der Alzette, Luxemburg.

12.08.2024 · Freia Kuper, Bronwen Deacon, Melissa Laufer, Maricia Aline Mende, Marvin Sievering

Crisis Talk: A Critical Discourse Analysis of Resilience and Edtech at the University

ECPR General Conference 2024. University College Dublin. University College Dublin, Dublin, Ireland.

05.07.2024 · Bronwen Deacon, Freia Kuper, Melissa Laufer, Marvin Sievering, Len Ole Schäfer

Sensemaking and the future university: Exploring the role digitalization strategies play for university teachers’ engagement with EdTech

40th EGOS Colloquium - Crossroads for Organizations: Time, Space, and People. EGOS. University of Milan-Bicocca, Mailand, Italien.

05.06.2024 · Maricia Aline Mende, Marvin Sievering, Bronwen Deacon, Freia Kuper, Melissa Laufer

Ein Diskurs über Verantwortung – Krise, Resilienz und EdTech an Hochschulen

University:Future Festival 2024 - Tales of Tomorrow. Hochschulforum Digitalisierung. Universität Leipzig, Leipzig, Deutschland.

06.07.2023 · Melissa Laufer, Len Ole Schäfer, Freia Kuper, & Bronwen Deacon

Paper Presentation

39th EGOS (European Group for Organizational Studies) colloquium. University of Cagliari. Online, Cagliari, Italy.

27.04.2023 · Melissa Laufer, Freia Kuper, Maricia Aline Mende, Len Ole Schäfer & Tiana Tschache.

Talk at University:Future Festival 2023

University:Future Festival 2023. Hochschulforum Digitalisierung. Online, Berlin, Germany.

07.10.2022 · Len Ole Schäfer, Bronwen Deacon, Melissa Laufer

Paper Presentation: Die Rolle der Digitalisierungsstrategie bei der Implementierung und dem Erhalt digitaler Lehre.

Symposium. Digitale Kulturen der Lehre entwickeln.. University of Bamberg. University of Bamberg, Bamberg, Germany.

06.09.2022 · Melissa Laufer, Bronwen Deacon, & Len Ole Schäfer

Paper Presentation: Leadership in Digital Change: An exploration of organizational trust and innovation in universities

44th Annual EAIR Forum 2022. Malta College of Arts, Science & Technology (MCAST), Malta. Online, Paola, Malta.

01.07.2022 · Len Ole Schäfer, Bronwen Deacon, & Melissa Laufer

Talk at APT – Conference 2022

Academic Practice and Technology (APT): Shaping academic practice through diversity and flexibility. UCL, LSE, Imperial College London, Kingston University & Queen Mary University London. Online, London, UK.

22.03.2022 · Meta Gorup, Melissa Laufer

Paper presentation: When Doctoral Advisors Become Adversaries: Doctoral Student Accounts of Relationships with Advisors Gone Wrong

Society for Applied Anthropology Annual Meeting. Society for Applied Anthropology. Online, Salt Lake City, UT, USA.

16.09.2021 · Moritz Timm, Bronwen Deacon, Melissa Laufer, Len Ole Schäfer

Qualität in der digitalen Lehre: Eine Untersuchung von Einflussfaktoren

Tagung der Gesellschaft für Hochschulforschung 2021. Gesellschaft für Hochschulforschung. Online, Siegen, Germany.

10.09.2021 · Bronwen Deacon, Len Ole Schäfer, Moritz Timm, Melissa Laufer

Enge und lose Kopplungen in der Hochschule – Die COVID-19 Pandemie und digitale Lehre

Soziologische Betrachtungen zur Digitalisierung der Lehre (in der COVID-19-Pandemie). DIPF | Leibniz-Institut für Bildungsforschung und Bildungsinformation. Online, Frankfurt am Main, Germany.

10.09.2021 · Bronwen Deacon, Len Ole Schäfer, Melissa Laufer

The Rapid Digital Turn: An Exploration into the Tight and Loose Coupling of University Structures [paper presentation]

43rd Annual EAIR Forum 2021: Transformation Fast and Slow: Quality, Trust and Digitalisation in Higher Education.. Humboldt University of Berlin. Online, Berlin, Germany.

08.10.2020 · Anne Leiser, Melissa Laufer, Bronwen Deacon, Christian Kobsda

Re-imagining higher education: Shifting gears and shifting visions

UNIVERSITY:FUTURE FESTIVAL - LEARNING, SYSTEMS AND THE NEW NORMAL. Hochschulforum Digitalisierung. Online, Berlin, Germany.

07.10.2020 · Melissa Laufer, Bronwen Deacon, Len Ole Schäfer

Lehren in der Krise, Lernen aus der Krise? Erfolg und Verstetigung digitaler Lehr- und Lerninnovationen

UNIVERSITY:FUTURE FESTIVAL - LEARNING, SYSTEMS AND THE NEW NORMAL. Hochschulforum Digitalisierung. Online, Berlin, Germany.

04.09.2018 · Melissa Laufer

The changing academic profession: exploring hiring stories of academics

ECER 2018. European Educational Research Association. Free University of Bozen-Bolzano, Bolzano, Italy.

26.08.2018 · Melissa Laufer

Balancing the global with the local: a study of internationalization at a Taiwanese university

40th Annual EAIR Forum 2018. European Higher Education Society (EAIR). Central European University, Budapest, Hungary.

09.11.2017 · Melissa Laufer & Meta Gorup

The invisible others: stories of international doctoral student drop-out

42nd Annual ASHE Conference 2017. Association for the Study of Higher Education. Marriott Marquis, Houston, TX, United States.

28.08.2017 · Melissa Laufer & Julie Birkholz

Learning to swim in a new pond: Exploring academic job securement abroad

Annual Conference: Consortium for Higher Education Researchers. Consortium of Higher Education Researchers (CHER). Jyväskylän Yliopisto, Helsinki, Finland.

13.09.2016 · Poster Presented

The power of stories: interpretations of internationalization in university cultures

EAIE 28th Annual Conference 2016. European Association for International Education. St George’s Hall, Liverpool, United Kingdom.

05.09.2016 · Melissa Laufer & Jelle Mampaey

The stories we tell: exploring how storytelling is used to legitimize internationalization at the university

Annual Conference: Consortium for Higher Education Researchers. Consortium for Higher Education Researchers. University of Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom.

08.07.2016 · Melissa Laufer

Unravelling the internationalization tale: exploring the legitimizing power of internationalization stories within university cultures

32nd EGOS Colloquium. European Group of Organization Studies. University of Naples Federico II, Naples, Italy.

Panels (1)

05.12.2022 · Melissa Laufer, Len Ole Schäfer, Bronwen Deacon

Conference Presentation

SRHE Conference 2022, Mobilities in Higher Education. Society for Research into Higher Education (SRHE). Online, London, UK.

Moderation of workshops and panels (1)

12.09.2017 · Melissa Laufer

Channeling institutional support for internationalization through storytelling

EAIE 29th Annual Conference 2017. FIBES, Seville, Spain.

Melissa Laufer | HIIG

Position

Ehem. Forschungsprogrammleiterin: Wissen & Gesellschaft

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