Prof. Dr. phil. habil. H. Ekkehard Wolff

Prof. Dr. phil. habil. H. Ekkehard Wolff

Prof. Dr. phil. habil. H. Ekkehard Wolff
Curriculum Vitae
POSITIONS
Bellville, South Africa
2015
[Upcoming] Visiting Professor: Faculty of Education, University of the Western
Cape [sponsored by Erasmus Mundus: EUROSA+]
Grahamstown, South Africa
2014/15
Visiting Professor: School of Languages (African Languages Studies & NRF
SARChI Chair: Intellectualisation of African Languages, Multilingualism and
Education), Rhodes University [1 semester; sponsored by DAAD – Johann
Gottfried Herder Programm]
Adama, Ethiopia
2011/12 - 2012/13
Visiting Professor: Dept of Afan Oromo, School of Humanities and Law,
Adama Science and Technology University, Adama, Ethiopia
[3 semesters; sponsored by Stiftungsinitiative Johann Gottfried Herder/DAAD]
Leipzig, Germany
09/30/2009
Retirement from the Chair of African Linguistics (Afrikanistik)
2005 - 2006
Director/Head: Institut für Afrikanistik
2002 - 2005
Vice-Dean: Faculty of History, Fine Arts and Oriental Studies
1999 - 2001
Director/Head: Institut für Afrikanistik
1997 - 1999
Founding Member: Graduate College Universality and Diversity – Language
Structures and Processes
1994 - 1997
Director/Head: Institut für Afrikanistik
1994
Full Professor (C4) and Chair of African Linguistics (Afrikanistik - Languages
and Literatures)
Niamey, Rép. du Niger
1987 - 1989
Maître de conférences (département de linguistique), Université Abdou
Moumouni [sponsored by DAAD]
Maiduguri, Nigeria
1980 - 1982
Senior Lecturer (Dept. of languages and linguistics), University of Maiduguri,
[sponsored by DAAD]
Hamburg, Germany
1990 - 1994
Graduate College Multilingualism and Language Contact
(Chairperson: 1992-1993)
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1990 - 1992
Director/Head: Seminar für Afrikanische Sprachen und Kulturen
1983 - 1994
[Associate] Professor (C2) of African Linguistics (Afrikanistik), Seminar für
Afrikanische Sprachen und Kulturen
1976 - 1983
[Assistant] Professor (Wissenschaftlicher Assistent: C1), Seminar für
Afrikanische Sprachen und Kulturen
1971 – 1972
Assistant for Academic Mangement & Planning to the Dean (FB Orientalistik),
Hamburg University
EDUCATION & DEGREES
1980
Dr. phil. habil. [philosophiae doctor habilitatus]: Habilitation and venia legendi
for “African Languages and Cultures”, Hamburg University
1972
Dr. phil. [philosophiae doctor]/PhD (Afrikanistik): Hamburg University
1964 - 1972
Student at Hamburg University (major: African Linguistics; minors: General
Linguistics, Ethnology; other subjects studied: Sociology, Fenno-Ugristics)
1964
University entrance qualification (Abitur: Katharineum zu Lübeck)
SPECIAL HONOURS
2011
Officier de l’Ordre National de Côte d’Ivoire
2011
Dedication: Doris Löhr & Ari Awagana (eds), Topics in Chadic Linguistics VI. Comparative and
Descriptive Studies. Köln: Rüdiger Köppe Verlag.
2009
Plenary “Special Wolff Session: A salute to Ekkehard!” (6th World Congress of African
Linguistics - WOCAL), Köln
2009
Homage: 5th Biennial International Colloquium of the Chadic Languages, Leipzig
1992
Bestowed traditional title of Midalaa Lamang (“Commander of Our People”) of the Emirate of
Gwoza in Borno State, Nigeria, by His Highness Alhaji Idrissa Shehu Timta, the Emir of
Gwoza, in appreciation of effected research and documentations on the languages and
cultures of the Gwoza Emirate since 1968
SCHOLARSHIPS AND GRANTS
2007 – 2013
Grants by DAAD: German-African Network of Alumni and Alumnae (ganaa) on
“Multilingualism and Language Policies in Africa” – together with Prof. Claus
Altmayer, Herder Institut, Universität Leipzig
1997 – 1999
Grants by DAAD and Finnish Academy of Science (German-Finnish Joint
Research Project): Computer assisted methods for the analysis of African tone
and pitch accent languages – with Prof. Arvi Hurskainen, Helsinki University
1995 – 1998
Research Grant (DFG: Special Programme on Language Typology): Structural
and typological parameters of verbal inflection in African languages
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1990 – 1994
Doctoral College (grant by DFG): Multilingualism and Language Contact,
University of Hamburg (supervising two PhD projects: C. Khamis, D. Haust)
1990 – 1992
Research Grant (DFG): Computer assisted compilation of a Lamang-English
Dictionary
1987 – 1989
Research Grant (DFG): Computer assisted methods for the analysis of oral
literature in Africa (pilot study)
1986 – 1987
Research Grant (University of Hamburg): Computer assisted documentation of
languages of the Wandala-Lamang group (Central Chadic) in Nigeria and
Cameroon
1985 – 1988
Research Grant (DFG): Computer assisted documentation of languages of the
Wandala-Lamang group (Central Chadic) in Nigeria and Cameroon
1981/82
Research Grant, University of Maiduguri, Nigeria: A Grammar of the Lamang
Language (final fieldwork and write-up)
1974 – 1976
Research Grant (DFG): Evaluation of post-doctoral field work in Nigeria and
Cameroon (Project: "Endangered languages and ethnic groups in the Lake
Chad Basin")
1972 – 1973
Research Grant (DFG): Post-doctoral field work in Nigeria and Cameroon
(Project: "Endangered languages and ethnic groups in the Lake Chad Basin";
Principal Investigator: Johannes Lukas)
1970 – 1971
Scholarship (‘Postgraduate’ Programme; University of Hamburg)
1968 – 1969
PhD project: Travel Grant (DAAD) for fieldwork in Nigeria
1968
Scholarship (‘Undergraduate’ Programme; University of Hamburg)
FIELD EXPERIENCE IN AFRICA
1. Linguistic fieldwork in West Africa:
1968-69, 1973-74, 1980-82: Northern Nigeria & Northern Cameroon
1987-89: Niger (Niamey)
2. Academic teaching, research supervision & consultancy:
2015 University of the Western Cape, Bellville, South Africa
2014/15 Rhodes University, Grahamstown, South Africa
2011/12 - 2012/13 Adama Science & Technology University, Adama, Ethiopia
1999 Stellenbosch University, Stellenbosch, South Africa (sabbatical term)
1987-1989 Université Abdou Moumouni, Niamey, Niger
1980-1982 University of Maiduguri, Maiduguri, Nigeria
3. Working visits (in part repeatedly):
Algeria, Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Chad, Côte d’Ivoire, Ethiopia,
Ghana, Kenya, Malawi, Morocco, Namibia, Niger, Nigeria, Senegal, Somalia,
South Africa, Swaziland, Togo, Tunisia, and Uganda.
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MEMBERSHIPS, EDITORIAL ACTIVITIES, CONSULTANCIES
1. Membership & Functions in Learned Societies, Associations & Centres
African Association for Lexicography – AFRILEX, South Africa (Member)
African Languages Association of Southern Africa – ALASA, South Africa (Member)
Association for the Development of African Languages for Education, Science, and
Technology – ADALEST (Founding Member, Standing Committee, Advisory Board)
Biennial International Colloquium on the Chadic Languages (Permanent Committee)
Europa Universität Flensburg – KURS: Zentrum für Kleine und Regionale Sprachen
(Corresponding Member)
Fachverband Afrikanistik (Founding Member, Board Member, Member)
West African Linguistic Society (Member, Member of Council)
World Congress of African Linguistics (Standing Committee, Board of WOCAL Elders)
2. Editorial Activities: Monograph Series
Afrikanistische Forschungen (Rüdiger Köppe Verlag, Köln; together with H. Meyer-Bahlburg,
Hamburg)
Beiträge zur Afrikanistik (LIT Verlag, Münster-Hamburg; together with H. Meyer-Bahlburg,
Hamburg)
Chadic linguistics / Linguistique tchadique / Tschadistik (Rüdiger Köppe Verlag, Köln:
together with H. Tourneux, Maroua/Cameroon, and D. Ibriszimow, Bayreuth)
Sprache – Kultur – Gesellschaft (Meidenbauer im Peter Lang Verlag, together with S. Bastian,
Leipzig.)
3. Member of Editorial Boards
African Journal of Linguistics and Literature (AJLL, University of Pretoria, South Africa)
Afrika und Übersee (University of Hamburg, Germany)
Ilhamu (Egerton University, Kenya)
Journal of Afroasiatic Languages (ISS, Princeton)
Journal of Languages and Contact: Evolution of languages, contact and discourse (Brills)
Journal of West African Languages (JWAL, West African Linguistic Society)
University of Leipzig Papers on Africa (ULPA). Subseries: Languages and Literatures
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REFEREE, EVALUATOR, CONSULTANT
ADEA (Association for the Development of Education in Africa),
AvH (Alexander-von-Humboldt Stiftung),
DAAD (Deutscher Akademischer Austauschdienst),
DFG (Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft),
FWF (Austrian Science Fund, Humanities and Social Sciences),
ELDP (Endangered Languages Documentation Programme),
GTZ (Gesellschaft für Technische Zusammenarbeit),
NSF (National Science Foundation, USA),
UIL (UNESCO Institute of Lifelong Learning),
Volkswagen Stiftung, and others.
Evaluations of curricula in Ethiopia, Finland, Germany [AQAS, ZEVA]
Member of several finding committees for professorial positions (national and international).
AREAS OF RESEARCH
Topical

General African linguistics (descriptive, comparative, typological);

Applied African linguistics and sociolinguistics (multilingualism, language planning and
standardization, language policies and policy implementation, language in education,
language and development);

Language contact and areal linguistics;

Verbal art and discourse analysis;

History of (German speaking) African Linguistics (Afrikanistik).
Regional

Sahel zone of West Africa and the Wider Lake Chad Basin (Cameroon, Chad, Niger, Nigeria),

Maghreb states (sociolinguistics),

Southern Africa (sociolinguistics),

Ethiopia (sociolinguistics).
Language Families

Afroasiatic languages: Chadic, Berber, Cushitic

Nilosaharan languages: Saharan, Songhay, Maba

Niger-Congo languages: Benue-Congo, Kwa.
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ORGANISER & CO-ORGANISER OF CONFERENCES/SYMPOSIA
2011
th
6 International Expert Workshop on Multilingualism and Language Policies in Africa;
together with C. Altmayer, Herder-Institut; German-African Network of Alumni and Alumnae
(ganaa); Leipzig
2007
st
1 International Expert Workshop on Multilingualism and Language Policies in Africa and
Europe; together with C. Altmayer, Herder-Institut; German-African Network of Alumni and
Alumnae (ganaa); Leipzig
st
2001
1 Biennial International Colloquium on the Chadic Languages (BICCL), Leipzig
2000
International Symposium on Areal Typology of West African Languages, together with
Bernard Comrie, Max-Planck-Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig
nd
1997
2 World Congress of African Linguistics, University of Leipzig, Germany
1996
Section: African Languages (Deutscher Orientalistentag), University of Leipzig, Germany
1991
International Symposium on the Standardization of National Languages, together with
UNESCO-Institute for Education, Hamburg, and Graduate College “Multilingualism and
Language Contact”, University of Hamburg, Germany
1990
International Symposium on the Dialectology of Hausa, University of Hamburg, Germany
1988
18 West African Languages Congress, Université [Abdou Moumouni] de Niamey, Niger
1986
International Symposium on Language Standardization in Africa, Schmitten, Taunus,
th
Germany, together with N. Cyffer, K. Schubert, H.-I. Weier.
1986
International Colloquium on the Orientalist Traditions of African Studies, University of
Hamburg, Germany. [Double Colloquium: together with Karl-Marx-University Leipzig]
th
1984
4 Meeting of German Africanists (Afrikanistentag), University of Hamburg
1981
International Colloquium on the Chadic Language Family and Symposium on Chadic within
Afroasiatic, University of Hamburg
1979
nd
2 Meeting of German Africanists (Afrikanistentag), University of Hamburg
[Last up-date: December 2014]
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