Dr. Roland Kießling

Biography

Roland Kießling is a professor of African Studies at the University of Hamburg, specializing in the documentation and analysis of African languages. He completed his degrees in African Studies and Phonetics at the University of Hamburg, earning his Magister in 1988, his doctorate in 1993, and his habilitation in 2000. From 1990 to 1993, he was a research associate on a DFG project, and he has served as an assistant at the Institute for African Studies and Ethiopian Studies from 1993 to 1999. He held a Heisenberg fellowship from 2001 to 2006 and has represented professorships at the University of Bayreuth and the University of Cologne during 2004. Kießling has been a professor for African Studies at the University of Hamburg since October 1, 2006. His main research focuses include phonetic transcription, morphosemantics, language change, and the study of Cushitic and Nilotic languages. He has led several research projects funded by organizations such as the DFG and Volkswagen Foundation, dealing with dialectological studies, language documentation, and media in various African languages. He has published extensively on these subjects, contributing to both independent publications and collective volumes, reflecting a deep engagement with both theoretical and practical aspects of linguistic research in Africa.

Research Interests