Vita

Short Vita in English language

Born 1944; married since 1966, one son born 1970.

- Teacher from 1966 to 1971.

- 1969 - 1973 additional university studies in psychology, education, and language, University of Hamburg;

- Since 1971 working in the field of educational psychology in teacher training,

- 1976 doctoral dissertation (Ph.D.) on (testing) listening comprehension;

- Since 1979 at the University of Hannover teaching educational psychology in special education;

- Main teaching and research topics are diagnostics and testing, language (development) and, especially, giftedness, and creativity [for example, Test for Creative Thinking - Drawing Production (TCT-DP), together with H.G. Jellen+].

- Since 1978 in the field of gifted education and research, numerous national and international publications in books and journals, e.g. ”International Handbook for Research in Giftedness and Talent", ed. by Heller, Mönks & Passow.

- One of the first few people in Germany promoting the idea of giftedness and talents, organizing the first conferences in Hamburg and Berlin; co-founder of the German Association for Gifted Children, acting in the executive committee for some years.

- 1982 Initiating and establishing the "Arbeitsstelle Hochbeagbten-Erziehung, -Forschung und Evaluation (HEFE)" (Centre for Gifted Education and Research); documentation, publication (HEFE-paper-series), research

- Several functions in German, European, and World Conferences (co-chair of 5th World Conference 1985, Hamburg), committees, and associations.

- 1984-87 Academic advisor for the federally sponsored project "Documentation Bibliography Giftedness", German Institute for International Educational Research (DIPF)

- Initiator and organizer of the first German federal creative writing competition for children and youth from 5 to 20 in 1984/85.

- Scientific director of the first German model project with/about gifted preschool children 1985-87 [the final report has been published as: Urban, K. K. (1990). Besonders begabte Kinder im Vorschulalter. Grundlagen und Ergebnisse pädagogisch-psychologischer Arbeit. (Gifted children in the preschool age. Foundations and results of educational-psychological work). Heidelberg: Schindele].

- 1988 "Habilitation" (=formal qualification for professorship) or Dr. habil.

- 1992 January - March: Guest professor and research fellow at the University of Melbourne, Australia, School of Education, CHIP Unit; taught summer courses, research

- 1990-94 member of the General Committee and Executive Committee of the European Council for High Ability (ECHA).

- 1993/94 Awarding the title of an "Apl. Professor" by the Minister for Science and Culture and professor’s position at University of Hannover (Psychology in Special Education)

- Invited keynoter at the 11th World Conference on Gifted and Talented Children in Hong Kong 1995, at the NACE-Conference, Durham, UK, 1996, at the 4th Asia-Pacific Conference on Giftedness, Jakarta, Indonesia 1996, at the 3rd Ibero-American Congress on Giftedness, Brasilia, Brazil 1998, 6th Asia-Pacific Conference on Giftedness, Beijing, China 2000, at Bangkok, Salzburg and Qatar in 2002, Bangkok 2003, invited workshops in Adelaide and Melbourne, Australia 2003, Basel 2005, Graz 2006.

For publications in English language see under “Publikationen” and some files under “Downloads”

Memberships and affiliations:

1979-87
Elected member of the Executive Committee of the World Council for Gifted and Talented Children (see www.worldgifted.ca)

1985-87
Vice-President of the World Council

1986-89
Chairman of the Research Committee

1995-97
Re-elected member of the Executive Committee

1997-2001
President-elect of the World Council

2001-2005
President of the World Council for Gifted and Talented Children

since 2005
Distinguished Advisor to the Executive Committee

2009 - 2013
Elected member of the Executive Comittee of the World Council for Gifted and Talented Children

since 1981
Deutsche Gesellschaft für Erziehungswissenschaft (DGfE) [German Association for Education]

since 1982
Deutsche Gesellschaft für Psychologie (DGPs) [German Psychological Association]

1983-85
Member of the federal executive committee of the 'German Association for Gifted Children'

since 1984
Editorial board member of "Gifted Education International"

1987-95
German Delegate of the World Council for Gifted and Talented Children

since 1989
Editorial board member of "Gifted International", now "Gifted and Talented International"

1990-94
Elected member of the General Committee of the European Council for High Ability (ECHA), member of the Executive Committee since 1992 (term end 1994)

1990 & 91
Invited member of the Summit Cadre of the Institute for Creative Intelligence, Eugene, OR, USA

1991-97
Founder and elected Chairman of the German "Arbeitskreis Begabungsforschung und Begabungsförderung e.V. (ABB)" [Association for Research on Giftedness and Education for the Gifted, an association of professionals working in the field of research on and promotion of giftedness in German speaking countries.]

since 1992
Member of the International Creativity Network (ICN; closed 1995)

since 1996
Editorial board member of ”Ideaccion”, Spain

since 1996
Affiliate to the Center for Creative Learning, Sarasota, FL

1997-2004
Directory Board member to the model project ”Gifted children in primary school” of the state of Lower Saxony, Germany

1998-2006
Appointed board member and elected chair to the German students‘ academy ”Deutsche SchülerAkademie”

since 2006
Review Board member of "Gifted Children Quaterly"

Creative out-of-university activities

• http://www.klausurban.com

creative writing: lyrics, “lyrhythmics”, short prose, satirical texts;
member of the German writers union (VS);
singer-song-writer (CD publication, concerts and readings in Germany, TV, radio, USA, New Zealand, Canada, Philippines)
photography (and etching until 1978).

Skizze des beruflichen Werdegangs

1944
geboren, verheiratet, ein Sohn

1963-66
Studium an der Pädagogischen Hochschule Vechta mit abschließender 1. Lehrerprüfung

1966-72
Lehrer an der Kath. Volksschule in Hamburg-Bergedorf

1968
2. Lehrerprüfung für das Lehramt an Volks- und Realschulen

1969-72
Weiterstudium an der Universität Hamburg in den Fächern: Psychologie (u.a. bei Hofstätter, Pawlik, Tausch, Wendt); Erziehungswissenschaften (u.a. bei Hausmann, Roeder): Sprachwissenschaften (u.a. bei Hartmann, Mertens)

1971-79
Wissenschaftlicher Assistent an der Universität Osnabrück, Abt. Vechta, Fachbereich 1 "Erziehung und Sozialisation", Lehrgebiet Psychologie

1976
Promotion; Dissertation, eine empirische Untersuchung mittels eines neu entwickelten Tests zum Hörverstehen, ist erschienen als "Verstehen gesprochener Sprache", Düsseldorf, Schwann, 1977

seit 1979
Akademischer Rat an der Universität Hannover, Fachbereich Erziehungswissenschaften I, Sonderpädagogische Studiengänge; Lehrveranstaltungen im Rahmen der Ausbildung von grundständigen und postgradualen Sonderschullehrern und Diplompädagogen (Schwerpunkte Sonderpädagogik und Erwachsenenbildung)

seit 1983
im Lehrgebiet Sonderpädagogische Psychologie

1988
Habilitation; Venia "Pädagogik mit dem Schwerpunkt Sprache und Lernen"

seit 1990
Zusätzliche Lehraufträge für "Pädagogische Psychologie" an der Hochschule für Musik und Theater, Hannover

1993
Ernennung zum apl. Professor, Universität Hannover, durch die Nds. Ministerin für Wissenschaft und Kultur

1994
Hochschuldozent, Sonderpädagogische Psychologie, Fb Erziehungswissenschaften, Universität Hannover

1995
Ruf auf eine Professur für Päd. Psychologie an der Universität Halle (abgelehnt)

seit Oktober 2009
im Ruhestand

Mitgliedschaften und Aktivitäten in (inter)nationalen Gesellschaften und Boards:

1977-84
Berufsverband Deutscher Psychologen (BDP), 1984 ausgetreten

1979-86 International Association of Applied Psychology (IAAP)

seit 1979
World Council for Gifted and Talented Children (see www.worldgifted.ca): Gewähltes Mitglied im Executive Committee 1979-87, Vice-President 1985-87; Chairman des Research Committee 1986-89; wiedergewähltes Mitglied des Executive Committees 1995-97; President-elect 1997-2001; President 2001-2005; Distinguished Advisor ab 2005

erneut gewähltes Mitglied im Executive Committee 2009 - 2013

seit 1979
Deutsche Gesellschaft für das hochbegabte Kind (DGfhK), Mitglied des Bundesvorstands 1980-84, Regionalverbandsvorsitzender Hannover 1980-85

seit 1981
Deutsche Gesellschaft für Erziehungswissenschaft (DGfE)

seit 1982
Deutsche Gesellschaft für Psychologie (DGPs) und Fachgruppe Päd. Psychologie

seit 1984
Editorial Board ”Gifted Eduction International” (AB Academic Publ., England)

seit 1989
Editorial Review Board ”Gifted and Talented International” (USA)

seit 1990
European Council for High Ability (ECHA); gewähltes Mitglied im General Committee und im Executive Committee 1990-94

1991 & 92
Eingeladenes Mitglied des Summit Cadre des Institute for Creative Intelligence, Eugene, OR, USA

seit 1991
Arbeitskreis Begabungsforschung und Begabungsförderung e.V. (ABB; siehe auch unter Downloads); Mitbegründer und erster Vorsitzender 1991-97

seit 1992
International Creativity Network (ICN; closed 1995)

1993-96
Consulting Editorial Board ”High Ability Studies” (former ”European Journal for High Ability”)

seit 1996
Editorial Board ”IDEACCIÓN”, Spanien

seit 1996
Affiliate to the Center for Creative Learning, Sarasota, Florida

1997-2004
Wissenschaftlicher Beirat zum Modellprojekt “Hochbegabte Kinder in der Grundschule“, Hannover, Niedersachsen

1998-2006
Vorsitzender des Beirats zur „Deutschen SchülerAkademie“

2003-2006
Berater des National Center for Gifted and Talented, Bangkok, Thailand

seit 2006
Mitglied im Review Board von "Gifted Childen Quaterly"