Welcome to the Alumni Network of the Faculty of Social Science. As an association, we promote exchange between the different status groups and serve as a bridge between academia and practice.
E-Mail:
sopra@sowi.rub.de
Further contact details can be found here.
Once a year, the Association for the Promotion of Social Science Practice (SOPRA e.V.) awards the SOPRA Student Prize. This award recognizes outstanding and particularly practice-oriented theses (bachelor's, master's theses, or dissertations).
The Student Prize will also be awarded again in 2026. Students who submitted their thesis for evaluation at the Faculty of Social Science at Ruhr University Bochum between April 1, 2025, and March 31, 2026, are eligible to apply. In addition to self-applications, recommendations from examiners are also possible.
Application: Please use our application portal for your application. Recommendation: Examiners can also send their recommendation by e-mail to sopra@sowi.rub.de.
The call for applications and the student prizes from previous years can be found here.
A social science master's course taught by Prof. Dr. Christian Gudehus at Ruhr University Bochum empirically explored the overarching theme "Zwang und Unfreiheit" over the course of a year. On the evening of October 14th, the five research groups presented their results:
- a magazine project on forced marriage in Afghanistan,
- a video essay titled "The Work Obligation for Asylum Seekers: Field Research in Greiz",
- a Gallery Walk on the role of women in historical abolitionism as well as current feminist movements against modern forms of slavery,
- a website titled "From Nigeria (Edo State) to Germany – Human Trafficking of Women into Forced Prostitution",
- a poster inviting engagement with the most recent legal amendment on prisoner compensation.
SOPRA e.V. supported the presentation of the research groups.
(The presentation took place on Tuesday, October 14th, starting at 7 PM at Atelier Automatique, Rottstraße 14.)
The Congress of the German Sociological Society (DGS) regularly brings together researchers, lecturers, and students to discuss current societal issues, present new research findings, and network professionally and personally. This year, the congress took place from September 22 to 26, 2025, on the Duisburg campus of the University of Duisburg-Essen.
SOPRA e.V. enabled 15 students from the Faculty of Social Science to participate by providing 50% financial support for the tickets and organizing the passes. The students were accompanied throughout the entire congress by Sabrina Schorr. On site, they were able to freely engage in various events and sessions, attend numerous lectures, and gain insights into the broad spectrum of sociological research.
This support helps SOPRA students gain early insights into scientific practice and the academic community. Through exchange with researchers and other students, they can expand their network and receive important impulses for their own academic and professional development.
As part of the seminar “Experimental Ethnography: Mining Coal, Coltan and Data” at Ruhr University Bochum, students visited the German Mining Museum in Bochum. The excursion, funded by SOPRA e.V., offered participants the opportunity to engage with the global connections between raw material extraction, digital platform economy, and environmental consequences.
During the museum visit, the students developed specific research interests and explored various aspects of mining. The excursion was an important component of the seminar led by Reinhilde Sotiria König. At the end of the semester, the students presented their results in diverse formats, including academic posters and creative projects.
The excursion to the Mining Museum enabled the students to realize their projects in creative formats and present their research results.
Once a year, the Association for the Promotion of Social Science Practice awards the SOPRA Student Prize for outstanding practice-oriented theses.
At the graduation ceremony on July 4, 2025, the SOPRA Student Prize 2025 was awarded to one bachelor’s thesis and two master’s theses:
• Leonie Weyhofen (B.A.: “The Attitude of Germans towards Refugees: Theoretical Approaches and a Comparative Analysis of Three Empirical Studies”)
• Franziska Pennekamp (M.A.: “Local Environmental Pollution and Poverty Segregation: A Spatial Analysis in Bochum”)
• Jennifer Schirrmacher (M.A.: “‘Everyone in Society is Somewhat Embedded’ How People Affected by Poverty Experience a Volunteer Supply Offer”)
On April 29, 2025, an interdisciplinary discussion event with experts from academia and practice took place at Ruhr University Bochum. The focus was on the challenges and prospects of the health and social sector as employment fields in North Rhine-Westphalia.
• Job Offers
• Event Tips SOPRA Student Prize
Feel free to explore the “Offers” tab for more details. We are also open to new formats. Please send us an email at sopra@sowi.rub.de.
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Last update: Jan 05, 2026
