Julia Haske

It is people who have made the Ruhr metropolitan region what it is today. And it is people who will shape the Ruhr valley of tomorrow. One leading light in the transformation is Julia Haske. 

Julia Haske knows the Ruhr valley well – and but not just because she was born in Herne, now lives in Recklinghausen, and works at the Technische Hochschule Georg Agricola in Bochum (THGA). She also knows it particularly well because, as a Research Associate for Reactivation and Transition at THGA, her work addresses the issue of how regions that were once defined by the mining industry can position themselves for the future – and here she has invaluable opportunities for research right on her doorstep. Having obtained degrees in political science, economics, and East Asian studies, she brings a non-technical perspective to her research and an integrated approach to concepts for post-mining regions.

Responding to our questionnaire, Julia Haske explained how her professional work is helping shape the transformation in the Ruhr metropolitan area.

FOR ME, THE RUHR VALLEY IS RICH IN OPPORTUNITIES FOR THE RECONSTRUCTION AND TRANSFORMATION OF FORMER MINING REGIONS. IT’S FULL OF INDUSTRIAL CULTURE THAT WILL BE OF GREAT VALUE TO FUTURE GENERATIONS.
JULIA Haske, RESEARCH ASSOCIATE AT THGA

My professional title is Research Associate for Reactivation and Transition.

My work is concerned with concepts for making fresh use of what used to be mining regions and the socio-economic impact of this, such as structural transformation and the effect on employment. A further topic is the expertise here at the Research Center of Post-Mining and at the THGA in respect of post-mining development in China.

What I find most exciting about my research is its variety – the constant opportunities to introduce new ideas into concepts in development and for a diverse range of local on-site situations. There are so many possible ways to make use of our industrial culture, and so many reasons to protect it.

For me, transformation means preserving the past and using it to create something sustainable and usable for the future. This approach saves us resources, land, and costs because we’re using something that already exists and giving it a new purpose.

I’m helping shape the transformation through my research by working constantly with project partners on a national and a European level to develop concepts and business models for both unconventional as well as already recognized methods applied at our local sites. I can then put this shared knowledge to good use for the development of our region.

Julia Haske, Research Associate for Reactivation and Transition, Credit: THGA, Volker Wiciok

Without my Institute’s research, an essential area of investigation would be overlooked, one that is still frequently undervalued in Germany – the socio-economic impact of change in post-mining regions and the implications at a social level for our society – and with it, we would lose all the positive development opportunities this brings.

For me, my profession is incredibly exciting, always offering new experiences and chances to meet new people from all around the world. It’s pretty diverse. It also lets me make an active contribution both in the region as well as nationally and internationally, and that’s important to me.

To me, collaborating with other scientific institutes in the Ruhr valley is absolutely vital: joining forces and pooling existing knowledge is what allows us to support each other successfully.

For me, the Ruhr valley is rich in opportunities for the reconstruction and transformation of former mining regions. It’s full of industrial culture that will be of great value to future generations.

Header: THGA, Volker Wiciok

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