Prof. Dr. Andreas Hoff

Prof. Dr.

Andreas Hoff

a.hoff(at)hszg.de

Faculty of Social Sciences

02826 Görlitz

Furtstrasse 2

Building G I, Room 2.08
2nd floor

+49 3583 612-4244

Brief introduction

Professor of Social Gerontology since 2011

Director of the research institute "Health, Ageing, Work, Technology" (GAT) since 2016

Special research and teaching interests:

Care and support in the family
Technical assistance systems/aids in home care
Compatibility of care and work
Intergenerational relations
European social policy

After a total of 12 years in the UK (Manchester, London (LSE), Oxford) and many years of international cooperation in Europe and worldwide, international projects in teaching, research and social commitment are particularly close to my heart.

Science has a responsibility in our society. I advise political decision-makers at federal, state and local level and am involved in interest groups for family caregivers (Independent Advisory Board for the Compatibility of Care and Work, Wir pflegen e.V., Eurocarers).

Offices and functions

09.2015-08.2021 Dean of the Faculty of Social Sciences
Since 2015 Deputy Chairman of the Independent Advisory Board on the Compatibility of Care and Work (in accordance with Section 14 of the Federal Caregiver Leave Act), which advises the Federal Ministry for Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth (BMFSFJ), the Federal Ministry of Labor and Social Affairs (BMAS) and the Federal Ministry of Health (BMG) on the implementation of the Family Caregiver Leave Act
2012-2015 Dean of Studies at the Faculty of Social Sciences
Member of the Faculty Council of the Faculty of Social Sciences since 2012
since 2014 Member of the Section Board of Section III "Social and Behavioral Gerontology" of the German Society for Gerontology and Geriatrics (DGGG)
Member of the Scientific Advisory Board of Homeshare International since 2014
2010-2014 Vice President of the Section (Research Committee (RC)) 11 "Sociology of Ageing" of the International Sociological Association (ISA)
2012-2014 Program Chair (Chair of the Scientific Program Committee) for the organization of the sociology of ageing congress program of the XVIII World Congress of Sociology in Yokohama, Japan, July 13-19, 2014
since 2002 Executive Board Member of Section (Research Committee (RC)) 11 "Sociology of Ageing" of the International Sociological Association (ISA)
2011-2012 Head of the Practice Office of the Faculty of Social Sciences

Scientific Advisory Board of the Journal of Gerontology and Geriatrics (ZfGG)

Member of the Editorial Board of the International Journal of Ageing and Later Life

Member of the Editorial Board of the Journal of Intergenerational Relationships

Professional career

Research projects

since 2011 Professor of Social Gerontology at the University of Applied Sciences Zittau/Görlitz
since 2011 Research Affiliate, Oxford Institute of Population Ageing, University of Oxford
2008-2010 Senior Research Fellow, Oxford Institute of Ageing, University of Oxford
2005-2008 Research Fellow, Oxford Institute of Ageing, University of Oxford
2001-2004 Research Associate, German Center on Aging (DZA)
2001 Doctor of Philosophy (Ph.D.) in Social Policy, London School of Economics & Political Sciences
1998-2000 Marie Curie Research Fellow at the Dept. of Social Policy, London School of Economics & Political Sciences
1996-1997 Research Associate in the MESPA multimedia project at the University of Bath
1996 Degree in Sociology at the University of Leipzig
1994-1996 Studied sociology and economics at the University of Leipzig
1993-1994 Studied Sociology and Social Policy, Manchester Metropolitan University
1989-1993 Studied Sociology and Economics, University of Leipzig

2018-2025 International partner in the Centre of Excellence "Research on Ageing" (CoE AgeCare) under the project management of Prof. Teppo Kröger, University of Jyväskylä, with the Universities of Helsinki and Tampere, Finland
2018-2022 HSZG sub-project leader of the co-creation lab "Factory of the Future" in the joint project of the five Saxon universities of applied sciences "Smart University Grid ^Saxony5 - Intelligent Networking of Knowledge Flows", financed by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) as part of the "Innovative University" funding program
2017-2021 International partner in the research project "Sustainable Care: Connecting People and Systems" led by Prof. Sue Yeandle, University of Sheffield, UK, in collaboration with the University of Birmingham and University College London, as well as other universities in 15 countries worldwide (Australia, Canada, China, Finland, Italy, Japan, New Zealand, the Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, Taiwan)
2017-2019 Project manager of the research project "Determinants of high quality of life and independent living in old age through the use of technical assistance systems" (VATI-2), funded by the Saxon Ministry of Science and the Arts (SMWK)
2017-2019 Project manager of the project application Investment funds for the establishment of an AAL laboratory at the GAT Institute, financed by funds from the Saxon State Parliament and the Friends of the Zittau/Görlitz University of Applied Sciences
2016-2017 Project manager of the expertise "Technical assistance systems for the compatibility of care and employment", funded by the Federal Ministry for Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth (BMFSFJ)
2014-2017 Project manager of the cross-faculty research project "Trust in Assistance Technologies for Inclusion (VATI). Development of a support network to promote individual independence and quality of life into old age", funded by the Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF), in cooperation with the Faculties of Electrical Engineering & Computer Science (Prof. Dr. Lässig) and Social Sciences (Prof. Dr. Thiele)
2014-2018 German representative and member of the Management Committee of the 20-country European Cooperation in Science and Technology (COST) research network INTERFASOL "Intergenerational Family Solidarity Across Europe", cooperatively funded by the European Commission and national research ministries (in Germany: BMBF)
2013-2014 Research project "Social, technical and economic potential of Ambient Assisted Living (AAL) technologies for coping with demographic change", together with the Department of Computer Science of the Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Computer Science and the Faculty of Management and Cultural Studies, Zittau/Görlitz University of Applied Sciences (joint project management with Prof. Dr. W. Honekamp).
2013-2014 Pilot project "Coping with everyday perception tasks using conventional and energy-saving light sources depending on age", together with PD Dr. Weber, Department of Electrical Engineering, Zittau/Görlitz University of Applied Sciences
2011-2014 Applicant (together with Prof. Dr. S. Yeandle, University of Leeds) of the research project "The Potential of Assisted Living Technologies for Older People at Home: creating a knowledge base for UK businesses developing technology for dementia and falls patients" (AKTIVE), funded by the Technology Strategy Board and the Economic and Social Science Research Fund (ESRC), in collaboration with the Universities of Leeds (Prof. Dr. Yeandle) and Oxford (Dr. Hamblin)
2011-2013 Research project "Future geriatric care in the Free State of Saxony", funded by the Saxon State Ministry of Social Affairs and Consumer Protection, in collaboration with the West Saxon University of Applied Sciences Zwickau (Prof. Dr. Grünendahl)
2011-2012 Research project "Needs analysis of required care structures for communities affected by an ageing population. The example of the town of Weißwasser in eastern Saxony", financed by the Sächsische Aufbaubank, together with Prof. Dr. Thiele
2009-2011 International research project "Between care and work: conflict or opportunity?" ('Carers@Work') in Germany, Great Britain, Italy and Poland, funded by the Volkswagen Foundation, project manager of the British sub-project
2009-2010 Evaluation of the 'IntergenerationALL' funding program of the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation, funded by the Calouste Gulbenkian Foundation, together with Dr. Leeson
2008-2009 Expertise on "Families, care and work" for the Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCFS), funded by DCFS
2007-2008 "The role of foreign care workers in the informal and formal care sector", funded by NORFACE ERA-Net, together with Dr. Leeson
2007-2008 "Working family caregivers in Europe - between labor market needs and intergenerational solidarity/conflict", funded by the OUP John Fell Foundation
2006 "Social exclusion/integration of older people in Europe", funded by Help the Aged, together with Dr. Leeson
2005-2008 "Social gerontology research in Eastern Europe", funded by James Martin School of the 21st Century, University of Oxford
2005 "Intergenerational Family Relations in the Context of Different Welfare State Regimes", funded by the Fritz Thyssen Foundation
1998-2000 Marie Curie Research Fellow at the Department of Social Policy, London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) - research project "Informal vs. formal support mobilization of single mothers in the UK and Germany".