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.
Sophie Salvo serves as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Germanic Studies at the University of Chicago, where she has taught since 2018. Holding a Ph.D. from Columbia University (2017), her scholarship bridges German literary studies, gender theory, and the history of linguistic thought, with primary focus on the nineteenth century and extending to contemporary political literature. Her acclaimed monograph Articulating Difference: Sex and Language in the German Nineteenth Century (University of Chicago Press, 2024) examines how gendered conceptions of language shaped intellectual discourse and literary production. Education Ph.D. in Germanic Studies, Columbia University, 2017 Salvo's research investigates the historical interplay between sex, gender, and language in German intellectual history, tracing how gendered tropes influenced linguistic analysis from Grimm's grammatical gender theories to modernist literary experiments. Her work reveals how patriarchal frameworks became embedded in linguistic science while highlighting women's contributions to language studies despite systemic exclusion. Current projects include an edited volume on the 'Reinvention of Patriarchy' around 1800 and a book analyzing twenty-first century political novels across the ideological spectrum. Her 2019-2024 publications demonstrate consistent interdisciplinary rigor, connecting historical linguistics with feminist theory and political analysis. Articles like 'Father is Always Uncertain' (2024) on Bachofen's patriarchal epistemology and 'The Sex of Language' (2021) on Jacob Grimm collectively chart how gendered assumptions permeated linguistic discourse, influencing both nineteenth-century scholarship and contemporary debates about inclusive language. Salvo actively mentors graduate research on topics including sexuality in Realism, women's writing, Holocaust representations in East German textbooks, and the rise of right-wing politics in post-reunification Germany. As co-organizer of the German Studies Scholarly Seminar at the Newberry Library, she facilitates interdisciplinary dialogue through regular events featuring scholars from institutions nationwide. Her teaching encompasses courses on Robert Musil, gender and sexuality studies, and contemporary political literature, reflecting her commitment to connecting historical analysis with urgent contemporary issues.
Professor Maria Löblich holds a position in the Department of Communication History and Media Cultures at the Institute of Journalism and Communication Studies, Faculty of Political and Social Sciences at Freie Universität Berlin. She specializes in historical and comparative approaches to communication studies with particular expertise in German division and reunification contexts, media policy history, and qualitative research methodologies. Her research focuses on communication history, media biographies, and the relationship between East and West German media landscapes. She has developed innovative approaches to studying media use across life courses and historical periods, with particular attention to how media shapes and reflects collective identities during periods of political transformation. Her methodological expertise lies in qualitative approaches including biographical interviews, discourse analysis, and historical media research. Her recent publications demonstrate a strong focus on historical media analysis, particularly examining the Berliner Zeitung as an anchor of East German identity, media usage patterns in divided Berlin, and the development of journalism studies after the student movement. She has also contributed significantly to theoretical discussions on mediatization and media policy frameworks. Fellow at the Berkman Center for Internet & Society, Harvard University (2012/13) Speaker of the Communication History Group of the German Society for Publizistik- and Communication Science (2012-2016) Professor Löblich has supervised numerous research projects examining media history in divided Germany and currently leads investigations into the media legacy of the GDR. Her methodological contributions to qualitative communication research have been widely recognized, including her co-authored book 'Qualitative Forschung in der Kommunikationswissenschaft.'
Prof. Dr. Gunther Hellmann is a Professor of Political Science at Goethe University Frankfurt, specializing in German and European foreign policy. He serves as a Principal Investigator, Board Member, and Research Field Coordinator at the Cluster of Excellence 'Normative Orders,' and has held leadership roles such as President of the World International Studies Committee (2017–2021) and Dean of the Department of Social Sciences (2004–2005). His academic contributions include co-editorship of the Journal of International Relations (ZIB) and a visiting professorship at Johns Hopkins University’s SAIS Bologna Center. Affiliations: Goethe University Frankfurt, Cluster of Excellence 'Normative Orders,' World International Studies Committee, Aspen Institute Berlin, Transatlantic Academy Education: Political Science, History, and Philosophy at Freiburg, Munich, and Washington, D.C. Research Interests: Hellmann focuses on international relations theory, foreign policy analysis, German and European foreign policy, security and peace policy, and the transformation of global and regional orders. His work emphasizes the interplay between normative expectations and practical diplomacy, with a particular interest in transatlantic relations, strategic dilemmas, and praxis theory. Publications: His recent works examine global order challenges, pragmatism in foreign policy, and the evolution of international practices. Articles from 2024 address normative expectations, economic interdependence, and post-reunification German foreign policy. Earlier works (2022–2020) analyze praxis theory, securitization, and the relevance of theoretical political science to real-world issues. Teaching: He supervises theses and exams in international relations, requiring topics related to foreign policy theory, German/EU policy, and security studies. Students must attend his colloquium and submit detailed outlines.
Pertti Ahonen is a Professor in the Department of History and Ethnology at the University of Jyväskylä. He completed his PhD at Yale University in 1999 and held teaching positions at the University of Sheffield and the University of Edinburgh for fifteen years before joining Jyväskylä in 2014. His research focuses on modern and contemporary European history, particularly post-1945 Germany and Central Europe, with emphasis on forced migrations, transnational history, and ethno-national categorizations. Notable publications include After the Expulsion (Oxford UP, 2003) and Death at the Berlin Wall (Oxford UP, 2010). Current research projects include Expellees and Ethno-National Categorizations in Europe , funded by the Research Council of Finland (2021-2025) Collaboration on Rethinking the Politics of Environment (2020-2022). His academic contributions span book reviews, journal articles, and conference organization, reflecting engagement with postwar European political discourse, Germany's Cold War dynamics, and migration studies.
Assoc. Prof. Dr. Volkan İpek serves as a faculty member at Yeditepe University's Faculty of Economics and Administrative Sciences within the Department of Political Science and International Relations. Holding a PhD from Bilkent University, he has been actively teaching courses including African Society and Politics, Turkish Foreign Policy, and Political Ethics since 2017, contributing significantly to international relations scholarship with a focus on Africa-Turkey dynamics. Dr. İpek completed his undergraduate studies in International Relations at Bilkent University (1999-2004) followed by an integrated PhD in Political Science at the same institution (2004-2015), where his doctoral thesis examined Morocco's quest for European Community membership through post-colonial theory. His research centers on African Studies and Turkish Foreign Policy, particularly analyzing Turkey's diplomatic engagement with Sub-Saharan Africa, migration governance, and EU-Africa relations. He employs interdisciplinary and post-colonial frameworks to investigate political identity formation, humanitarian responses, and emerging power dynamics, with notable contributions to understanding Turkey's soft power expansion in Africa. Analysis of his 2018-2024 publications reveals intensifying focus on contemporary African challenges including pandemic response (Ebola), counterterrorism strategies, sports diplomacy (FIFA World Cup), and Sahel region politics. His works demonstrate methodological diversity spanning theoretical analyses, case studies on Somalia and Ethiopia, and multi-volume regional assessments. Dr. İpek has supervised four master's theses on migration patterns, humanitarian aid comparisons, and counterterrorism approaches in Africa. He has contributed as researcher to three externally funded projects: Supporting Capacities of the Presidency of Migration Management (2023), Supporting Development of Return Counselling Capacities in Türkiye (2022), and Türkiye's Migration Management Support Project (2019-2020), all addressing EU-Turkey migration cooperation.
Volker Benkert serves as Associate Professor in Arizona State University's School of Historical, Philosophical and Religious Studies, with additional affiliations at the Center for the Study of Religion and Conflict, Melikian Center, Jewish Studies program, and Osher Lifelong Learning Institute. Education: Dr. Phil., University of Potsdam Staatsexam, University of Bonn Studies in History and English at Universities of Edinburgh, St. Petersburg, and Fribourg Research Focus: Benkert investigates regime change impacts on biographies in 20th century Germany through biographical interviews and discourse analysis. His work examines transmission of apologetic historical narratives across generations, focusing on German-Jewish relations, Holocaust representation, and generational identity formation. Key methodologies include comparative genocide pedagogy and media memory studies , with publications spanning German reunification impacts and DDR generational studies. Publication Trends: Recent output (2013-2022) reveals three dominant strands: 1) Comparative genocide education (collaborative works on Holocaust/Rwanda pedagogy), 2) German generational history (particularly the "last DDR generation" born circa 1970), and 3) Critical analysis of Holocaust representation in German media. His edited volumes consistently explore memory politics through generational lenses. Scientific Awards: No awards documented in provided materials. Advising & Grants: Mentored seven Honors Theses and 35+ honors contracts at ASU, plus two Master's theses. Secured collaborative funding through Arizona Holocaust Education Initiative and partnerships with USC Shoah Foundation, United States Holocaust Memorial Museum, and Anti-Defamation League for genocide education workshops. Research Teams: Co-organizes International Comparative Genocide Symposium and Terrortimes, Terrorscapes conference series. Leads ASU's Holocaust education initiatives with Jason Bruner and Lauren Harris, developing digital tools for comparative genocide teaching.
Julia Hell is a Professor in the Department of Germanic Languages and Literatures at the University of Michigan. She holds affiliations with the Center for European Studies and the Weiser Center for Europe and Eurasia. Her research focuses on German culture, particularly post-fascist and post-communist literature and visual arts, imperial studies, and the aesthetics of ruins. She has authored influential works such as Post-Fascist Fantasies (1997) and The Conquest of Ruins (2019), and co-edited Ruins of Modernity (2010). Hell has organized international conferences on topics like 'Ruins of Modernity' and has been a visiting scholar at the Institute for Advanced Study (Princeton). Education : Ph.D., German Literature, University of Wisconsin-Madison (1989) Her research interests span ruin studies, imperium studies, and political theory, with a focus on the intersections of art, politics, and history. Recent projects include analyses of Las Vegas as a 'ruinopolis' and the ethics of scenes of execution in Peter Weiss’s works. Hell has received awards including the MLA’s Scaglione Prize and ACLS Fellowship. Her articles explore themes like imperial decline, post-Communist subjectivity, and the Holocaust’s cultural legacy. She teaches courses on German literature, philosophy, and colonialism.
Detlef Pollack is a Senior Professor and Chair of Sociology of Religion at the Institute for Sociology, University of Münster. He has held this position since August 2022, following a distinguished academic career that includes serving as Professor of Sociology of Religion at the Westphalian Wilhelms University Münster from 2008 to 2022, and as Professor of Comparative Cultural Sociology at the Viadrina European University Frankfurt (Oder) from 1995 to 2008. Pollack has been a member of the board of the Excellence Cluster "Religion and Politics" at the University of Münster since 2023 and previously served as its deputy speaker (2019-2021) and speaker (2015-2018). Pollack's academic background includes a habilitation from Bielefeld University (1994) in Sociology, a doctorate in Sociology of Religion (summa cum laude) from Leipzig University (1984), and theological studies at Leipzig University (1976-1981). His academic journey reflects a deep engagement with both theological and sociological perspectives on religion. Professor Pollack's research focuses on religious change in Western and Eastern Europe and the USA, political culture in Eastern and Central Europe, GDR research, systems theory, and differentiation theory. His work bridges historical analysis with contemporary sociological theory, particularly examining how religious institutions and practices adapt to modern social structures. He has made significant contributions to understanding secularization processes, religious pluralism, and the relationship between religion and modernity. Pollack's extensive publication record demonstrates consistent engagement with major debates in the sociology of religion. His recent work explores religious responses to global crises, religious fundamentalism, and the complex relationship between religion, politics, and national identity in contemporary Europe. His research often employs comparative methodologies, examining religious phenomena across different cultural and national contexts. Among his notable achievements are the Karl-Polányi-Preis from the Hungarian Sociological Society (2018), his fellowship at the Lichtenberg-Kolleg in Göttingen (2011), and his Max Weber Chair at New York University (2003). He has also been recognized with fellowships at Princeton University (1993) and the Wissenschaftskolleg Berlin (1996). Pollack actively contributes to academic discourse through his leadership roles in professional organizations, including the International Society for the Sociology of Religion (since 1995) and the Sociology of Religion section of the German Sociological Association (since 1994). His teaching portfolio includes seminars on postcolonial theory, Western modernity in times of global crisis, religious fundamentalism, secularization, and the relationship between religion and politics in Russia, Germany, and the USA.
Katherine Pence is an Associate Professor in the Department of History at the Weissman School of Arts and Sciences, Baruch College, City University of New York (CUNY). She has been actively teaching courses including Global History Since 1500 and Capstone: Search History through Spring 2025. Her educational background includes: Ph.D. in History, University of Michigan M.A. in History, University of Michigan B.A. in History, Pomona College Professor Pence specializes in Cold War history with a particular focus on German history, consumer culture, gender studies, and transnational relations between Germany and Africa during the decolonization period. Her research explores how consumer politics, gender dynamics, and Cold War competition shaped everyday life in divided Germany, as well as examining German-African relations during the Cold War era. She has made significant contributions to understanding the intersections of consumption, citizenship, and Cold War politics in both East and West Germany, with particular attention to gendered experiences. Her book Gender and Consumer Politics in Cold War Germany (Cambridge University Press, 2019) represents a major contribution to the field. Her recent scholarly output reveals a growing emphasis on German-African relations during the Cold War, particularly examining how West Germany engaged with decolonizing Africa through trade exhibitions, development aid, and cultural diplomacy. While her earlier work focused primarily on consumer culture and gender in divided Germany, her research has expanded to explore transnational connections and the global dimensions of Cold War competition. Her publications span historical methodology, gender studies, and transnational history, with consistent attention to how ordinary people navigated political systems through everyday practices. Faculty Service Award for the Weissman School of Arts and Sciences (2015) Presidential Excellence Award for Distinguished Teaching (2008) Feliks Gross Endowment Award for Outstanding Research (2007) Eugene M. Lang Junior Faculty Research Program Award (2006) Whiting Research Award for Excellence in Teaching (2005) Weissman School of Arts and Sciences Dean's Award for Special Service to Students (2004) Professor Pence has received multiple PSC-CUNY research grants for her projects on 'The East and West German Scramble for Africa,' totaling over $25,000 in funding between 2008-2017. She has served as a dissertation committee member for graduate students at Harvard University, NYU, and the University of Illinois. Her service to the academic community includes organizing numerous conferences, particularly the International Conference of Undergraduate Research (ICUR), and she has held various leadership positions within Baruch College and CUNY, including Faculty Liaison for ICUR and member of the Weissman School of Arts and Sciences Diversity Equity and Inclusion (DEI) Alliance. Professor Pence is actively involved in campus initiatives related to undergraduate research, diversity and inclusion, and international education. She has organized multiple faculty workshops on research in undergraduate classrooms and has been instrumental in developing Baruch's Women's Studies program. Her current research projects continue her exploration of German-African relations during the Cold War era, with particular attention to local initiatives, gender dynamics, and transnational connections.
Dr. Frank Thomas Grub is Professor of German and Head of the Department of Modern Languages at Uppsala University. Educated at Universität des Saarlandes (Dr. phil. 2003) and promoted to Associate Professor at Gothenburg University (2012) before joining Uppsala as Professor (2018), he has been recognized as Excellent Teacher (2021). As founder of the Landeskunde Nord network since 2012 and editor of the Peter Lang book series since 2013, his career bridges academic research, educational innovation, and international collaboration. His research focuses on contemporary German-language literature , GDR cultural studies , and transcultural didactics . Key projects explore autobiographical writing, post-Wall literary representations, and the intersection of travel literature with cultural memory. Recent publications (2024-2025) examine media narratives of reunification and cultural stereotypes in language pedagogy. Prof. Grub contributes to German as a foreign language curriculum development Intercultural competence frameworks Editorial leadership in Northern European Germanistics His 2023-2025 works analyze graphic novels in education, migration discourse in literature, and media transitions during the Cold War.
Imke Brust serves as Associate Professor and Chair of the German Department at Haverford College, holding a Ph.D. from The Pennsylvania State University with foundational training from Christian-Albrechts-University Kiel, Germany. Her research critically investigates 20th and 21st century German literature, film, and theater through frameworks of nationalism, post-colonialism, and globalization. Current work centers on the Reunification versus Reconciliation project, which analyzes literature and film in post-wall Germany and post-apartheid South Africa to explore alternative public spheres and tensions between nation/state formations. Dr. Brust's scholarship systematically addresses gender and race dynamics within European and African visual culture, emphasizing transnational dialogues in contemporary contexts. No scientific awards, student advising records, grant funding, or laboratory affiliations are documented in available materials.
Bastian Betthäuser is an Assistant Professor at Sciences Po, Paris, affiliated with the Centre for Research on Social Inequalities (CRIS) and the Laboratory for Interdisciplinary Evaluation of Public Policies (LIEPP). He is also an Associate Member at Nuffield College, University of Oxford, and the Department of Social Policy and Intervention. His research focuses on social inequality, intergenerational mobility, educational policy, and life course dynamics . He investigates how socio-economic background influences early development, education, labor market outcomes, and life chances, and how policies can mitigate structural disadvantages. His work combines quantitative methods with comparative and longitudinal analyses across Europe. The recent publications show a strong trend in analyzing educational disruptions (e.g., during the pandemic) , parental employment instability , and regional and historical variations in educational opportunity . His research often leverages large-scale datasets and meta-analytic techniques to assess policy impacts and inequality mechanisms. Scientific Awards: ERC Starting Grant 2024 for the LEARN project on health crises and education He has taught courses on Educational Inequality & Education Policy and Social Inequality across the Life Course at both bachelor’s and master’s levels at Sciences Po. His research is supported by competitive grants and involves collaborations with leading scholars in sociology and public policy. He actively contributes to public discourse through media appearances and academic seminars. He is affiliated with key research units including CRIS and LIEPP, which focus on interdisciplinary evaluation of public policies and social inequalities. These labs support his work on policy-relevant sociological research using advanced empirical methods.
Ute Frevert is Emeritus Director of the Center for the History of Emotions at the Max Planck Institute for Human Development and Honorary Professor at Freie Universität Berlin. She previously held professorships at Yale University, Universität Bielefeld, and Universität Konstanz. Her pioneering research examines emotions in modern social, political, and gender history through interdisciplinary frameworks. Frevert's work explores how emotions shape historical phenomena across domains including war, law, labor, and gender relations. Current projects investigate emotional dimensions of democracy, national identity, and political institutions using comparative historical analysis. Her publications demonstrate sustained engagement with affective economies in German/European history, with recent work examining constitutional sentiments, democratic disillusionment, and feminist historiography. Methodological innovation characterizes her analysis of diaries, media, and institutional archives. Major honors include: Sigmund-Freud-Preis für wissenschaftliche Prosa (2020) Order of Merit of the Federal Republic of Germany (2016) Leibniz Award (1998) Professional leadership includes presidency of the Max Weber Foundation and membership in multiple national academies. She has directed international collaborations on moral economies and emotional lexicons, advancing global historiographical dialogue.
Siobhan Kattago is an Associate Professor in the Department of Philosophy at the University of Tartu. Her work bridges Philosophy, Sociology, and Politics, with a focus on memory studies, political theory, and Hannah Arendt's thought. She holds a PhD (1997) and MA (1993) in Sociology from The New School for Social Research, followed by postdoctoral research at New York University and the New School University. Her research explores the intersections of memory, modernity, and time. Key areas include the ethics of remembrance, political theology, and the legacy of totalitarian regimes. Notable publications include Ambiguous Memory: The Nazi Past and German National Identity (2001), Memory and Representation in Contemporary Europe (2012), and Encountering the Past within the Present (2020). Recent articles address the Russia-Ukraine war’s temporal dimensions and the pandemic’s impact on time perception. Her scholarship emphasizes pluralism and responsibility in confronting historical trauma, drawing on Arendtian and Kantian frameworks. Current projects include analyses of memory in post-Soviet contexts and the ethical dimensions of collective memory in global conflicts.
