Experience

Dagmar Schiek is Professor of Law with a focus on European Union and Labour Law.

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Before joining University College Dublin in November 2023, Dagmar was the Synnott Family Chair in EU Law at University College Cork (from December 2020) and professor of Law at Queens University Belfast (November 2014 - November 2020), where she directed the Centre of European and Transnational Studies (Centre of European and Transnational Legal Studies until 2018). Prior to that, she held the Chair in EU Law at University of Leeds (Britain, August 2007 to October 2014), where she also was Director of the Centre of European Law and Legal Studies (which is now dissolved). She has been Professor of European Economic Law at Carl-von-Ossietzky-Universität Oldenburg (Germany, 10/1999-7/2007), where she was also the Director of the Hanse Law School (2002-2007). She was Associate Professor of Civil and Labour Law at Bremen University (11/1993-9/1999), and lecturer for civil and labour law at Bundeswehruniversität Hamburg (7/1989-2/1990). She has also been visiting faculty at the Universities of the London School of Economics (Britain), Maastricht (The Netherlands), Ulster University (Northern Ireland), Hamburg and Gießen (both Germany). From 1990 to 1993 she advised German states governments in Berlin and Hessen on constitutional, employment and equality law and drafted these states anti-discrimination legislation.

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Professor Schiek also serves as Vice Dean for Research at UCC School of Law. Before joining UCC, she had leadership experience beyond her role as Centre Director (see above). Her largest managerial challenge was the role as Dean of Student Education for the Faculty of Information Sciences, Economics and Law at University Carl von Ossietzky Oldenburg from 2002 to 2006. In this period, she oversaw the transition from Diploma degrees to Bachelor and Master Degrees in line with the Bologna principles, and led the process of formal accreditation for the suite of degrees offered by the faculty. While working for the Hessen government (Germany, 1992 - 1993), she also led a sub-department with 12 members of staff and an annual budget of 5.4 million DM (German currency before the Euro). In the UK, she was the Director of Postgraduate Studies at University of Leeds (school of law), and pathway lead for socio-legal studies for the “White Rose Doctoral Training Centre in Social Sciences” (funded by the ESRC).

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Dagmar Schiek graduated from the University of Hamburg (Germany) in 1988 with first degrees in law and journalism (additional subject), which were all awarded with distinction. She also is eligible to hold juridical office in Germany (Groβe Juristische Staatsprüfung). She holds a PhD from the University of Hamburg (1992), on the basis of a thesis asking the question “Is lifting the ban on women’s nightwork in Europe a straight road to equality?” The thesis analyses the change necessary to transform specific protective workplace legislation preventing women from certain occupation into protective legislation enabling all workers to maintain their general health while caring for their family and being employed. She has been granted the venia legendi (authority to teach) in German and European Civil and Labour Law by University of Bremen (1999). This was on the basis of her Habilitation thesis on “Justice Differentiated? Protection against Discrimination in Contract Law” (published in German by Nomos publishers, 2000) and her inauguration lecture on “A sustainable legal frame for e-commerce”.

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