With the New Year, Indiana University’s Europe Gateway in Berlin welcomes its new director Dr. Katrin Völkner. She joins the team of Academic Director Professor Timothy Hellwig, based in Bloomington, and Program & Communications Manager Annabell Türk, based in Berlin.
An experienced educator and higher education administrator, Dr. Völkner has dedicated her career to advancing and nurturing cross-cultural learning opportunities and exchanges across academic disciplines and national borders. As a graduate of both German and American institutions, and as a dual citizen, she is deeply committed to supporting transatlantic educational and research cooperation, and IU’s international engagement.
“I am thrilled to be working for a U.S. university again. It feels like a homecoming,” said Völkner. “It’s wonderful to support IU’s ambitious global engagement agenda and to be able to interact with students, faculty, and alumni alike.”
Originally from Berlin, Völkner moved to the United States to pursue her graduate studies after finishing her undergraduate work at Freie Universität Berlin. She first traveled across the Atlantic on a family trip to Seattle where she had a chance to visit the University of Washington. After this experience, she was determined to return to the United States as a student and was excited to spend a year at in St. Louis where she completed her master’s degree at Washington University. She later obtained her PhD in interdisciplinary German Studies from Duke University.
In her role as faculty member and director of the Multimedia Learning Center at Northwestern University, she co-led the Global Languages Initiative, a multi-year effort that supported foreign language learning and global engagement throughout the university community.
After more than 20 years in the United States, Katrin returned to her hometown in 2015 and worked for the Council on International Educational Exchange. In her most recent position at the University of Potsdam, Katrin managed a transdisciplinary and multi-professional team focused on improving educational practices.
The Europe Gateway plays a vital role in supporting our university’s activities in Europe, from developing and supporting overseas study programs, connecting faculty to collaborative research opportunities, developing institutional partnerships, and connecting with our alumni. Katrin is an accomplished international educator and administrator, and I am thrilled to welcome her to Indiana University and the Europe Gateway where I know she will carry forward our mission of expanding IU’s engagement in Europe.
Ally Batten, Executive Director, Global Gateway Network
IU Europe Gateway, Berlin
As one of Indiana University’s five Global Gateways across the globe, the IU Europe Gateway connects IU faculty, staff, and students with opportunities in Europe to deepen and expand their engagement in the region. Located in the Kreuzberg neighborhood in Berlin, the Gateway office provides the university with a physical presence in the center of Europe, supporting scholarly research, teaching, conferences and workshops, study abroad programs, distance learning initiatives, alumni events, and much more.