University of Canterbury, New Zealand

German Youth Steering Committee

Bettina started her tertiary education in Germany, studying Philosophy, English and American literature and cultural history in Berlin. After the first two years of study, she decided to go to Great Britain and pursue a B.A. degree in Philosophy at Leeds University, which she completed after one year majoring in the Philosophy of Science. Subsequently, she completed her Master’s degree at Humboldt University in Berlin over the next two years with a particular focus on nineteenth-century American rhetoric and Philosophy of Science. Whilst working for television in Germany, she decided to develop a doctoral project combining research in nineteenth-century rhetorical culture, argumentation theory and history and philosophy of science. It was then, that she became interested in the history of polar research and nineteenth-century scientific culture. Since 2005, Bettina has undertaken her PhD project at the University of Canterbury, New Zealand and is the recipient of the Canterbury doctoral scholarship. Since 2006, Bettina is actively involved in education and outreach for the New Zealand Youth Steering Committee and the German initiative “Polarjugend.”