Dr. Ana-Sofia Uhl

I am coordinator of the International Cultural Studies program at the University of Mannheim and have been working at the School of Humanities for more than ten years. My work combines teaching, international collaboration, and the development of innovative, intercultural, and digital teaching formats and projects.

I studied Spanish and American Literary and Cultural Studies at Heidelberg University and the Universidad Complutense de Madrid and received my doctoral degree (Dr. phil) in Romance Studies from Heidelberg University with a dissertation on language, food, and identity in contemporary Cuban-American literature. My research included stays at the Universidad de Pinar del Río, Cuba, and the Cuban Research Institute at Florida International University in Miami, USA.

A central aim of my work is to foster international collaboration in higher education and to develop innovative, often hybrid and digital formats that strengthen intercultural competences among both students and (teaching) staff. I am also interested in collaborations beyond academia and in bringing together the university and actors from the wider community.

• Intercultural Communication & Cultural Studies
• Identity, Belonging & Intersectionality
• Food, Culture, Memory
• Power, Inequality & Othering
• Digital Cultures & Artificial Intelligence
• International & Digital Higher Education

• Erasmus+ Blended Intensive Program “Mapping Taste: Food Across Cultures” (in collaboration with Adam Mickiewicz University, Poland, Vytautas Magnus University, Lithuania, and University of Zadar, Croatia), June 2026
• COIL “Food Across Cultures: Virtual Reflections on Culinary Identity & Global Perspectives” (in collaboration with Eva Breitbach, University of Mannheim and Nuno Miguel Ribeiros, University of Lisbon), HWS 2026
• ENGAGE! Culture: Development of digital learning materials for a modular online course (MOC) on intercultural communication competence in collaboration with the ENGAGE.EU partner universities Hanken School of Economics, Finland and Norwegian School of Economics (NHH), Norway, release in spring 2027

I offer workshops and guest sessions and welcome opportunities for academic and teaching collaboration, including COIL and virtual exchange, Blended Intensive Programs, and joint research or teaching projects.

• Uhl, A.-S. (2017). Sprache – Essen – Identität: Selbstvergewisserung und kulturelle Trans­formation in der US-kubanischen Gegenwartsliteratur. Heidelberg. 
• Beushausen, W., Brüske, A., Uhl, A.-S., Helber, P., & Kloß, S. T. (2014). Caribbean food cultures : culinary practices and consumption in the Caribbean and its diasporas. Bielefeld. 

• „Intercultural Teamwork & Presentation Skills“, Workshop im Rahmen des ENGAGE.EU Joint Program Digital Trans­formation, Universität Mannheim, Juli 2026
• „Food, Memory, & Belonging“, interaktiver Vortrag im Rahmen des Erasmus+ Blended Intensive Program „Mapping Taste: Food Across Cultures”, Juni 2026.
• „Was darf man heute noch sagen?“ Sprache, Symbole und kulturelle Sensibilität im Wandel. Vortrag im Rahmen der Reihe „Mimo“ des Ökumenischen Bildungs­zentrum SanctClara, Mannheim, Januar 2026.
• „Admin & Lecturer Workshop“, im Rahmen des ENGAGE.EU Joint Program Digital Trans­formation, Universität Mannheim, Juli 2026.
• „ENGAGE.EU Projekt: International Cultural Studies: Interkulturalität als gelebte Praxis“, Poster Präsentation im Rahmen der Galerie der Guten Lehre, Zentrum für Lehren und Lernen, Universität Mannheim, Mai 2025.
• “U.S. Election 2024: The Day After”. Kommentar und Moderation (mit Gästen wie Dr. David Sirakov, Atlanti­sche Akademie, Rheinland-Pfalz oder MdB Isabel Cadematori), in Zusammenarbeit mit Prof. Dr. Stefanie Schäfer und Prof. Dr. Philipp Gassert, Universität Mannheim, November 2024.
• “U.S. Election Night. Diskussion, Musik, Science Slam” in der Alten Feuerwache Mannheim. Konzeption und Organisation in Zusammenarbeit mit Prof. Dr. Stefanie Schäfer (Amerikanistik) und Prof. Dr. Philipp Gassert (Zeitgeschichte), Universität Mannheim, November 2024.
• „International trifft virtuell: Interkulturelle Kommunikation und digitale Lehre im International Classroom“. (gemeinsam mit Abir Al-Laham), Workshop im Rahmen des Symposiums „Zukunft der Hochschul­lehre“, Universität Mannheim, April 2024.