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Esther DufloView profile

Professor

• Development Economics
• Poverty Alleviation
• Health
• +7 more

Esther Duflo is the Abdul Latif Jameel Professor of Poverty Alleviation and Development Economics in the Department of Economics at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT). She is also co-founder and co-director of the Abdul Latif Jameel Poverty Action Lab (J-PAL), holds the Chaire, Pauvreté et politiques publiques at the Collège de France, and serves as President of the Paris School of Economics. Her research focuses on understanding the economic lives of people living in poverty to help design and evaluate social policies. Her work spans multiple domains including: Development Economics Poverty Alleviation strategies Health interventions Educational programs Financial inclusion initiatives Environmental policy Governance improvements Duflo revolutionized developmental economics by pioneering the use of randomized controlled trials to test poverty reduction measures. Her empirical approach has challenged conventional opinions about development and has helped improve the efficient use of resources in poverty alleviation programs worldwide. She co-authored the influential books "Poor Economics" and "Good Economics for Hard Times" with Abhijit Banerjee, demonstrating through field experiments how specific interventions (like providing lentils to mothers for child immunization) can dramatically improve social outcomes. Her notable scientific achievements include: Sveriges Riksbank Prize in Economic Sciences in Memory of Alfred Nobel (2019) Princess of Asturias Award for Social Sciences (2015) Infosys Prize (2014) John Bates Clark Medal (2010) MacArthur "Genius Grant" Fellowship (2009) A.SK Social Science Award (2015) Duflo has established J-PAL as a global network of over a hundred affiliated professors who use scientific evidence to inform policy decisions in the fight against poverty. J-PAL has offices across Africa, Europe, Latin America and the Caribbean, North America, and South and Southeast Asia. Her work has demonstrated the crucial importance of information in policymaking, with numerous field experiments showing how carefully designed interventions can have significant impacts on social outcomes across multiple domains including health, education, and economic opportunity.

• Ethics
• Animal Rights Theory
• Speciesism
• +4 more

Frauke Albersmeier is a Lecturer at the University of Cologne's Faculty of Philosophy. Formerly a Research and Teaching Fellow at Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf (HHU), she specializes in ethics, animal rights theory, and conceptual analysis. She holds a PhD in Philosophy from HHU (2020) with a dissertation on 'The Concept of Moral Progress.' Her work bridges metaphilosophy, moral theory, and applied ethics, particularly focusing on speciesism, animal rights, and conceptual engineering. Education: PhD in Philosophy, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf (2020) Master of Arts in Philosophy, HHU (2013) Bachelor of Arts in Cultural Sciences, FernUniversität Hagen (2011) Research Interests: Her work emphasizes ethical frameworks for nonhuman animals, the nature of moral progress, and the role of language in shaping moral concepts. Key areas include speciesism critiques, solidarity theories, and the methodology of conceptual analysis in philosophy. Recent Work Trends: Recent publications explore animal rights within human rights frameworks, science denialism, and ethical challenges in animal-free research. She frequently addresses interdisciplinary questions at the intersection of ethics and scientific practice. Awards and Grants: Recipient of DFG-funded research projects, including the Collaborative Research Center 991 (2016–2020) and a current project on 'Presuppositions of Frame Theory in the History of Philosophy.' Teaching and Outreach: Leads courses on animal ethics, moral progress, and conceptual theories. Active in popularizing philosophy through workshops and podcasts (e.g., Knowing Animals Podcast, 2022). Key Collaborations: Co-edited special issues on conceptual explication and analysis. Collaborates with institutions like the Centre de recherche en éthique (Montréal) and the University of Pennsylvania.

Ulrike FreitagView profile

Professor

• Middle Eastern History
• Urban History
• Indian Ocean Studies
• +4 more

Prof. Dr. Ulrike Freitag is Director of the Leibniz-Zentrum Moderner Orient (Berlin) and holds a special professorship in Islamic Studies at Freie Universität Berlin. Her research focuses on social and cultural history of the Arab world, urban history, and transregional connections in the Indian Ocean. She has directed major projects like 'An Oasis Facing Globalisation: Hegra’s History since the 19th Century' and authored seminal works such as A History of Jeddah . Education: Habilitation (Islamic Studies, 2002, Bonn), PhD (1991, Freiburg), MA (1987, Freiburg). Key research stays include Damascus (1984-85, 1987-90), Yemen, and Southeast Asia. Research Interests: Urban development, migration networks, Ottoman heritage, Saudi state formation, and transregional Islamic dynamics. Current projects explore Jeddah’s urban history and transregional entanglements in the Arabian Peninsula. Engagement: Editorial roles for Journal of Arabian Studies , ZMO Studien , and advisory boards for institutions like the Leibniz Institute of European History. Awarded fellowships from Käthe-Hamburger Kolleg and LUCIS. Supervised over 20 doctoral theses on topics ranging from Ottoman governance to Gulf intellectual history. Publications: Over 150 articles, 8 monographs, and 6 edited volumes. Her work blends archival research with transregional perspectives, emphasizing marginalized voices and material culture. Recent focus on pandemic impacts and Saudi-Iranian geopolitical dynamics.

Oliver MüllerView profile

Professor

• Philosophical Anthropology
• Philosophy of Technology
• Ethics
• +3 more

Prof. Dr. Oliver Müller is a Professor at the Department of Philosophy, University of Freiburg, and serves as Vice Dean of the Faculty of Philosophy. His academic journey includes a doctorate from Humboldt University Berlin (2005) and a habilitation in Philosophy (2012). Müller leads research on Philosophical Anthropology, Philosophy of Technology, and Ethics, with a focus on human-machine interactions and Anthropocene ethics. He supervises doctoral and postdoctoral researchers across projects like livMatS and BrainLinks-BrainTools. Research interests span neuroethics, transhumanism, and socio-technological systems, emphasizing ethical frameworks for emerging technologies. Publications explore AI ethics, drone warfare, and phenomenological embodiment, reflecting interdisciplinary engagement with neuroscience and environmental philosophy. Honors include the MTZ Bioethics Award and Heisenberg Fellowship. Müller directs participatory discourse initiatives bridging art and science, fostering public engagement with technological ethics. His work advances critical dialogues on human enhancement and ecological responsibility in the digital age.

Benjamin Mako HillView profile

Associate Professor

• Peer Production
• Online Communities
• Collective Action
• +7 more

Benjamin Mako Hill is an Associate Professor in the University of Washington Department of Communication and an Adjunct Associate Professor in Human-Centered Design & Engineering , the Paul G. Allen School of Computer Science & Engineering , and the Information School at UW. He is a Faculty Associate at the Berkman Klein Center for Internet and Society at Harvard University and a Fellow at the Center for Information Technology Policy at Princeton University during the 2023–2024 academic year. Educational Background : PhD in an interdepartmental program at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) , involving the MIT Sloan School of Management and the MIT Media Lab , advised by Eric von Hippel, Yochai Benkler, Tom Malone, and Mitch Resnick. MS in Media Arts and Sciences from MIT. B.A. in Technological and Legal History from Hampshire College . Research Interests span peer production, online communities, collective action, cooperation, learning, and computer-mediated communication. His work explores how communication and information technologies shape social outcomes in collaborative environments like Wikipedia and Linux, focusing on governance, moderation, anonymity, and educational platforms such as Scratch. Article Trends : His publications analyze peer production dynamics, privacy in open collaboration, and computational thinking in youth. Topics include underproduction in open source software, algorithmic fairness, taboo knowledge production, and legitimate peripheral participation in online communities. Methodologies combine big data, quasi-experimental, and comparative analyses. Scientific Awards : Dordick Award for Best Dissertation (2013). CHI '22 Best Paper Honorable Mention (2022). CSCW '18 Best Paper Honorable Mention (2018). CHI '17 Best Paper Honorable Mention (2017). CSCW '13 Best Paper Award (2013). CHI '11 Best Paper Honorable Mention (2011). Advising and Grants : He co-founded the Community Data Science Collective and collaborates with researchers like Aaron Shaw. Grants include multiple National Science Foundation awards for studies on digital knowledge commons, anonymous participation, and collaborative success, as well as a Sloan Foundation grant for modeling underproduction in peer production. Labs and Teams : He leads the Community Data Science Collective , an interdisciplinary research group studying online communities, and contributes to open-source projects like Debian and Ubuntu . He actively edits Wikimedia projects and participates in the Cascadia Wikimedians User Group .

• Legal History
• Global Legal History
• Colonial Law
• +7 more

Prof. Dr. Thomas Duve is a Director at the Max Planck Institute for Legal History and Legal Theory and holds the Professorship for Comparative Legal History at Goethe University Frankfurt am Main. His research focuses on global legal history, particularly the interplay between secular and religious knowledge in the Iberian empires of the early modern period, and the method of legal history and comparative law. Director, Max Planck Institute for Legal History and Legal Theory Professor of Comparative Legal History, Goethe University Frankfurt Co-editor of 'The School of Salamanca Working Paper Series' Duve’s research explores normative knowledge production, colonial law, and the glocalization of legal norms. He has led projects such as 'Glocalizing Normativities' and 'Mapping Conflicts in Iberian Worlds', emphasizing cross-cultural legal exchange and historical normativity regimes. His recent publications (2018–2025) address global legal history, transnational legal practices, and the role of canon law in colonial settings. Key themes include legal pluralism, indigenous rights, and the translation of legal norms across cultures, with methodological innovations in comparative and transnational legal studies. Duve collaborates extensively with international scholars and institutions, including the Max Planck Partner Group and the Oxford Handbook of Legal History. His work bridges European and Latin American legal traditions, offering critical insights into legal globalization and postcolonial legal analysis.

• Gentrification
• Housing Policy
• Urban Sociology
• +5 more

Dr. phil. Andrej Holm is a Researcher at the Institute of Social Sciences , Humboldt University of Berlin, specializing in Urban and Regional Sociology . As a Women's Representative and active academic, he focuses on gentrification, housing policy in international comparison, and European urban policy. His work bridges academia and activism, contributing to housing referendums and social movement analysis. Research Themes : Gentrification dynamics, financialization of housing, socio-ecological housing transformation, and post-socialist urban development. Key Projects : Expert analysis for Berlin housing socialization referendum (2022), comparative studies on Amsterdam/Barcelona/Berlin/Vienna (2022), and social infrastructure reconceptualization (2021). Holm's publications span urban policy critiques and housing justice , with recent 2025 works examining financial investors' impact on Berlin housing and pandemic-era housing conditions. His research integrates political economy with spatial inequality frameworks.

Ernst MaugView profile

Professor

• Corporate Finance
• Corporate Governance
• Executive Compensation
• +3 more

Ernst Maug, Ph.D. is Professor of Corporate Finance at the University of Mannheim Business School, where he has held a faculty position since February 2006. He has served in significant leadership roles including Associate Dean for Research and director of the business school's doctoral programs. Maug currently holds the position of President of the European Finance Association, reflecting his standing in the academic finance community. Professor Maug's research program focuses on corporate finance with particular emphasis on corporate governance mechanisms. His work examines the interface between financial markets and labor markets, executive compensation structures, shareholder voting behavior, and the role of institutional blockholders. His research demonstrates a consistent interest in understanding how governance structures affect firm performance and decision-making processes. The analysis of Professor Maug's recent publications reveals a strong focus on shareholder democracy, executive compensation design, and the intersection of labor markets with corporate governance. His work frequently appears in the top finance journals including the Journal of Finance, Journal of Financial Economics, and Review of Financial Studies, indicating the high quality and impact of his research contributions. Professor Maug has served in significant academic leadership positions, directing doctoral programs and contributing to research strategy as Associate Dean for Research at the University of Mannheim Business School. His service as President of the European Finance Association further demonstrates his influence in shaping the direction of finance research across Europe.

• Medical Informatics
• Artificial Intelligence in Healthcare
• Healthcare Data Integration
• +7 more

Prof. Martin Boeker is a Professor of Medical Informatics at the Technical University of Munich (TUM), affiliated with the TUM School of Medicine and Health. His work focuses on advancing healthcare through AI-driven solutions, interoperability frameworks, and precision medicine initiatives. Key projects include the German Medical Text Corpus (GeMTeX) and the MIRACUM DIFUTURE Alignment Hub. Expertise: Medical Informatics, AI in Healthcare, Federated Learning, Health Data Integration Key Contributions: FHIR-based systems, clinical decision support, patient-centered outcomes research Leadership: Director of the Institute for AI and Informatics in Medicine at TUM Hospital Right of the Isar Research emphasizes bridging clinical practice and data science through projects like modular health crawlers, automated guideline adherence monitoring, and cross-institutional medical NLP solutions. His work spans oncology informatics, rare disease management, and pandemic response data ecosystems. Recent articles highlight innovations in digital twins for precision oncology, federated analysis in oncology, and German-language medical NLP challenges. He collaborates internationally on EHR standardization and healthcare interoperability, contributing to the Medical Informatics Initiative (MII) and pandemic evidence ecosystems. Grants and collaborations involve the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research, European initiatives, and industry partnerships. Educational efforts focus on training future medical informatics professionals through MII competency programs.

Feng ChengView profile

Researcher

• Data-Driven Security Engineering
• Security Analytics
• Network Security
• +19 more

Dr. Feng Cheng is a Senior Researcher and head of the IT Security Engineering (Sec-Eng) Team at the Hasso Plattner Institute (HPI), Germany, and serves as the Representative of the Chair "Internet Technologies and Systems" at the Digital Engineering Faculty, University of Potsdam. He holds a PhD from the University of Potsdam, an MEng from Beijing University of Technology, and a BEng from Beijing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics. His research is centered on data-driven security engineering, security analytics, network security, cloud security, firewall, IDS/IPS, attack modeling, and penetration testing. Dr. Cheng's research interests span a broad range of cybersecurity domains, with a strong emphasis on security analytics , data-driven threat detection , cloud and network security , and authentication . His work integrates advanced data engineering and machine learning techniques to enhance security operations, including intrusion detection, threat intelligence, and security information and event management (SIEM). Key application areas include IoT security, mobile security, and web security. The recent publications of Dr. Cheng and his team reflect a significant trend towards leveraging big data analytics , machine learning , and graph-based methods for cybersecurity. Their work focuses on developing frameworks for blockchain-based public key infrastructures, advanced SIEM analytics, malware detection using NLP, and chaos engineering for cloud security. This demonstrates a strong commitment to creating practical, scalable, and intelligent solutions for modern security challenges in complex, distributed environments. Dr. Cheng is actively involved in the academic community as a member of ACM and IEEE, a program committee member for numerous international conferences, and an organizer of workshops on cloud computing and cybersecurity. He has also served on editorial boards for international journals. He supervises a large group of PhD, master's, and bachelor's students, guiding research on topics such as security analytics, cyber threat intelligence, digital credentials, and behavioral authentication. He leads the Sec-Eng team, which conducts research on a diverse portfolio including the Security Analytics Lab, HPI-VDB (vulnerability database), Lock-Keeper (physical separation technology), and the Security Lab Generator for scenario-driven security training.

Dirk HeckmannView profile

Professor

• Digital Law
• Digital Administration
• Digital Education
• +5 more

Prof. Dr. Dirk Heckmann is a prominent academic and legal expert currently serving as a member of the Bavarian Institute for Digital Transformation (bidt) Board of Directors and holding the Chair of Digital Law and Security at the Technical University of Munich . As a constitutional lawyer and judge at the Bavarian Constitutional Court, he bridges legal expertise with digital policy through advisory roles in the Federal Government's Data Ethics Commission and the Chancellor's National IT Summit. In 2020, he established the TUM Center for Digital Public Services to advance legally sound, common-good-oriented digitalization. His research focuses on digital education , digital administration , and healthcare digitalization , with particular emphasis on legal certainty for digital systems . Recent projects like ReDiKo (Regulating Digital Communication Platforms) and AFFAIRE (AI Regulation for Examinations) highlight his commitment to evidence-based digital governance. He has authored the juris Practical Commentary on Internet Law since 2021, shaping Germany's digital legal discourse. Professor Heckmann actively engages in public debates about digital sovereignty and platform regulation , most notably at the 2025 Nuremberg Digital Festival where he will discuss open-source foundations for digital sovereignty. His work spans constitutional law , data ethics , and AI policy , with recent publications analyzing social media harassment, AI's impact on education, and digital violence legislation.

• Inclusive Education
• Special Education
• Rehabilitation Pedagogy
• +8 more

Prof. Dr. Teresa Sansour is a full Professor of Pedagogy and Didactics in Cases of Intellectual Development Impairments with Special Consideration of Inclusive Educational Processes at the Institute for Special and Rehabilitation Education, Carl von Ossietzky University of Oldenburg. She joined the university in April 2020 and has held leadership roles including Vice Director for Teaching at the Center for Teacher Education (since October 2021) and Deputy Institute Director (since April 2025). Her academic affiliations reflect a deep commitment to inclusive and special education. Her research focuses on educational interactions in the context of intellectual disabilities, inclusive subject didactics, the participation of people with complex disabilities, and the professionalization of educators and prospective teachers. Key research areas include inclusive literacy, art education, teacher motivation, and social integration. She leads significant funded projects such as Literary Texts in Simple Language (LiES) and Lighthouses for Participation , both aimed at enhancing inclusion for people with disabilities. The recent publications of Prof. Sansour span topics such as school absenteeism in autism, self-concept in intellectual disabilities, inclusive art education, and participation models. Her work demonstrates a strong interdisciplinary and applied focus, combining qualitative methods with pedagogical innovation. She frequently publishes in peer-reviewed journals and edited volumes on special education, inclusive didactics, and disability studies. Member, German Society for Educational Research (DGFE), Section Special Education Member, Network for Complex Disabilities e.V. Chair, Advisory Board of the Georg-Leffers-Stiftung Chair, Association for the Promotion of Pedagogical Rehabilitation and Social Integration of People in Risk Situations Board Member, German Interdisciplinary Society for Research Promotion for People with Intellectual Disabilities (DIFGB) Prof. Sansour actively contributes to academic leadership and teacher training. She serves as program coordinator for the Bachelor’s in Special Education and accreditation officer for the Special Education/Social Studies cluster. Her work includes advising on inclusive curricula, fostering research collaborations, and securing external funding for inclusive initiatives. She has not received explicitly mentioned scientific awards in the provided text. She is involved in multiple collaborative research teams and projects focused on inclusion, literacy, and disability rights.

Judith AltroggeView profile

Researcher

• Migration and Border Regimes
• International Organizations
• Policies of Externalization and Humanitarianism
• +3 more

Judith Altrogge is a Researcher at the Institute for Migration Research and Intercultural Studies (IMIS) at the University of Osnabrück . Since August 2019, she has served as a Research Associate in the project TRANSMIT - Transnational Perspectives on Migration and Integration . Her academic journey includes completing her PhD (2017-2020) at the University of Basel and Osnabrück, and prior roles as a Research Associate (2017-19) and Project Assistant (2012-17) at the Arnold-Bergstraesser-Institute (ABI) in Freiburg. Education: PhD candidate (2017-2020) at University of Basel and University of Osnabrück Her research spans Migration and Border Regimes , International Political Sociology , and Practice Theories , with geographic focus on North and West Africa . She critically examines policies of externalization, humanitarianism, and the role of international organizations in migration governance. Her work often addresses postcolonial dimensions of sovereignty and deportation practices. Judith's publications (2018-2022) reflect a thematic concentration on EU-African migration cooperation , forced return mechanisms , and diaspora dynamics . Key contributions include analyses of Gambian migration governance, EU-African policy challenges, and the political economy of migration. Her methodological approach integrates practice theory with empirical fieldwork in West Africa. Currently affiliated with IMIS and involved in the Collaborative Research Center 'Production of Migration' , she contributes to projects under the DeZIM Research Association and participates in networks like IMISCOE . Judith actively collaborates with institutions such as the German Society for International Cooperation (GIZ) and the Arnold Bergstraesser Institute (ABI).

• Civil Law
• Comparative Legal History
• Legal Philosophy
• +6 more

Wolfgang Forster is a Professor of Civil Law, Comparative Legal History and Legal Philosophy at the University of Tübingen, where he has been teaching since 2011. He served as Dean of the Faculty of Law from October 2020 to September 2022. Prior to his appointment at Tübingen, he was Professor of Civil Law and Legal Philosophy at the University of Giessen from 2007 to 2011. He completed his habilitation at LMU Munich in 2005 with a thesis on insolvency law history and earned his doctorate in 2000 with research on Karl Christian Friedrich Krause's legal philosophy. Forster studied law and philosophy at the Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich from 1987 to 1992, supported by the German Academic Scholarship Foundation and the Bavarian Scholarship for Gifted Students. He passed his first state examination in law in 1992 and his second in 1995. Between 1995 and 2000, he served as a research assistant at KU Eichstätt/Ingolstadt before becoming a research assistant at FAU Erlangen from 2000 to 2003 and at LMU Munich from 2003 to 2007. His research focuses on Civil Law, particularly the general part of the law of obligations, contract law, and family law; German and Spanish legal history, especially regarding insolvency law; History of Canon Law; and Legal philosophy and history of legal philosophy, with special emphasis on Karl Christian Friedrich Krause's legal philosophy. His work bridges historical legal scholarship with contemporary legal theory, examining how historical legal concepts inform modern jurisprudence. Forster's approach combines meticulous historical research with philosophical analysis, revealing continuities and transformations in legal thought across centuries. His publications demonstrate a consistent focus on the intersection of legal history, philosophy, and practical application. Forster has published extensively on Krausist legal philosophy, Spanish legal history, insolvency law development, and historical aspects of family law. His work shows particular strength in analyzing how legal concepts migrate across national boundaries and historical periods, with recurrent attention to German-Spanish legal connections. Hermann Conring Prize 2010 (for his habilitation thesis) Max Weber Prize of the Bavarian Academy of Sciences (for his dissertation) Faculty Prize of the Faculty of Law of the LMU Munich (for his dissertation) Forster has received significant research funding, including publishing support from the German Research Foundation for his habilitation thesis. He co-organized the 40th German Legal Historians' Day in 2014 and was a co-applicant for the interdisciplinary research training group 'Ambiguity: Production and Reception' approved by the DFG in 2013. He has also served as a visiting professor at the University of Wisconsin Law School in Madison, USA. His work demonstrates strong institutional support and recognition within the German and international legal academic community.

• Islamic Theology
• Pastoral Care
• Interreligious Dialogue
• +4 more

Mahmoud Abdallah is a Researcher at the Center for Islamic Theology , University of Tübingen, where he has worked since 2020. His career includes roles as Senior Scientist at the University of Innsbruck (2019–2020), Project Leader at ZITh (2016–2019), and Post-Doc researcher (2013–2018). He also held guest lectures at Marmara University (2017) and served as an Arabic Editor (2012–2013). Education : PhD in Comparative Linguistics (2012, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf), Master’s summa cum laude (2002, University of Minia), State Examination (1998, Al-Azhar University). Research Interests focus on Islamic Theology , Pastoral Care , Interreligious Dialogue , and Religious Institutions in Pluralistic Societies . He explores hermeneutics in Islamic counseling, Ḥisba in public order, and Umma dynamics in multicultural contexts. Recent Publications (2014–2022) analyze Qur’anic ambiguity , interfaith education , religious responses to crises (e.g., pandemic pastoral care), and Islamic social ethics . Key themes include Abrahamic unity , contextual theology , and religious hermeneutics . Scientific Awards : Master’s degree with summa cum laude distinction (University of Minia, 2002). Advising & Projects : Co-editor of Grundlagen muslimischer Seelsorge (2020) and Theologie des Zusammenlebens series (2017–2022). Led the 2016 project Scientific Education and Social Responsibility (Baden-Württemberg Ministry). Currently working on books about Prophetic Hermeneutics (2023) and Religious Transformations in Crisis (2022). Committee Memberships : Member of the German Islam Conference (since 2018), Scientific Advisory Boards at Zukunftsforum Islam e.V. (since 2017), and the DAVO (German Working Group on the Middle East, since 2009).