Dr. Albrecht Bossert is an academic at the University of Augsburg's Faculty of Business and Economics, associated with the Chair for Economics IV (Environmental and Resource Economics). He also serves as Managing Director of the VWL Institute since April 1, 2010. Education: Economics (University of Stuttgart), Economic Theory (University of Augsburg) His research focuses on environmental economics , development policy , social security systems , and regulatory frameworks . His work spans empirical studies in Tanzania, policy analysis in Uganda, and theoretical contributions to social market economy principles. Publications analysis reveals a trajectory from comparative studies of social security systems (1980s) to environmental policy integration (1990s-2000s), with regional expertise in Tanzania and Uganda. His 2007-2005 work emphasizes transnational environmental governance challenges. Key collaborations include Prof. Dr. Peter Michaelis, Dr. Thomas Ziesemer, and Dr. Christoph Mayr. Contact: albrecht.bossert@uni-augsburg.de , Room 1338, +49 821 598 - 4063.
Naciye Kamcili-Yildiz is a Junior Professor of Islamic Religious Education and Didactics at Paderborn University's Faculty of Arts and Humanities, specifically within the Paderborn Institute of Islamic Theology. She has held this position since January 1, 2023, following her appointment as a special duties faculty member at the same institution from August 2015 to December 2022. She completed her doctorate in philosophy at the University of Duisburg-Essen in June 2020. Her educational background includes Islamic Religious Education studies at the University of Osnabrück (2008-2011), Educational Science at the University of Dortmund (1996-1998), and teacher training for secondary education with a focus on German and Geography. Prior to her academic career, she worked as a teacher in Bochum from 2002 to 2015. Dr. Kamcili-Yildiz's research focuses on interreligious learning, Muslim diversity in classroom settings, and the professionalization of Islamic religious teachers. Her work addresses critical issues in religious education, particularly how to teach Islamic subjects in diverse educational environments and how religious education responds to crises and conflicts. She has developed language-sensitive approaches to teaching Hadith literature and explored conceptual frameworks for religious literacy in Islamic education. Her recent publications (all from 2023) demonstrate a strong thematic focus on religious education in times of crisis, with particular attention to historical contexts from the 19th and 20th centuries. She has also made significant contributions to the methodology of Islamic religious instruction, especially regarding Hadith interpretation and conceptual frameworks for religious education. Dr. Kamcili-Yildiz is actively involved in several academic and professional organizations, including the German Society for Islamic Theological Studies (DEGITS), the Society for Scientific Religious Education (GwR), and the Center for Comparative Theology and Cultural Sciences. She previously served on the advisory board for Islamic Religious Education in North Rhine-Westphalia (2015-2021) and is currently a member of the advisory board for FAIR (Specialist Office for Islamic Religious Pedagogy). Her research projects have included examining mindsets and practices in teaching about other religions at the university level (2018-2019), religious diversity in curricula of Islamic theological studies (2021-2022), and cooperative religious education (ReKoRu) (2016-2019). She currently teaches courses on interreligiously told religious stories and prayer as a topic in Islamic religious education.
GIGA German Institute of Global and Area StudiesGermany
Dr. Lisa Hoffmann is an Associate Research Fellow at the GIGA Institute for African Affairs, Leibniz-Institut für Globale und Regionale Studien. Her work focuses on social cohesion, conflict, religion, and experimental economics, with extensive fieldwork in Ghana, Liberia, Sierra Leone, and Togo. Education includes a PhD in Economics from Universität Hamburg, an M.Sc. in Politics, Economics & Philosophy from Universität Hamburg, and a B.Sc. in Business Administration and Economics from Goethe-Universität Frankfurt. Research interests center on identifying conditions for interfaith peace, large-scale land acquisitions' societal impacts, and sustainable rural transformation. Her approach integrates behavioral experiments and mixed-methods frameworks to examine how religious dynamics influence conflict resolution and development. Recent publications focus on empirical analyses of interreligious relations, employing diverse methodologies from statistical modeling to participatory visual documentation. Common themes include conceptual frameworks for peacebuilding, determinants of cross-faith cooperation, and community-based interventions in African contexts. She has led projects including DFG-funded 'Religion for Peace' and BMZ-supported studies on land acquisitions. Collaborative networks include interdisciplinary teams across political science, economics, and development studies.
Elisabeth Hartmeyer holds the Professorship for Law in Social and Health Care Systems at Freiburg University Hospital since September 2022. Previously, she served as a lecturer at the Catholic University of Eichstätt-Ingolstadt (Social Work Faculty) and Baden-Württemberg Cooperative State University (Business Information Systems Faculty), focusing on labor and organizational law. Her professional background includes roles as advisor for labor law at the German Caritas Association, managing director of the Research Center for Church Labor Law, and editor for the ZAT Journal for Labor Law. Education: Dipl. theol. (Catholic Theology) and Jurist (Law) from Eberhard Karls University of Tübingen (2007), Legal Traineeship at Higher Regional Court of Munich (2009), and earned her Dr. iur. in 2015. Research priorities include Church labor law (obligations of loyalty, employee representation law), Child and Youth Welfare Law (KJSG developments), public law contracts under SGB X, and legal/ethical issues in healthcare. Active in academic networks: Member of Tübingen Legal Society, BAGHR eV (Federal Association of University Professors of Law at Universities of Applied Sciences), and Scientific Advisory Board for Nomok@non Web Journal for Law and Religion. Organized key events like the 2025 Church Labor Law Conference in Eichstätt and 2024 German/Austrian Church Law Conference session on Caritas institution management.
Prof. Dr. Christoph Knoblauch is the Head of the Department of Catholic Theology/Religious Education and a Member of Faculty I Educational and Social Sciences at the University of Applied Sciences Ludwigsburg. He also serves as Deputy at the Institute of Theology. His research focuses on religious and ideological diversity in educational settings, particularly in daycare environments, emphasizing how such diversity shapes children’s inter-religious competence and value orientations. Currently leading the project "Religious and ideological diversity in daycare teams" (2023–2026), Knoblauch collaborates with institutions like the University of Tübingen and the Diocese of Rottenburg-Stuttgart. The project explores how educators can constructively address religious diversity to foster inclusive education. His work bridges theological, pedagogical, and sociological perspectives to promote equitable educational practices. Knoblauch’s professional network includes cooperations with universities and religious institutions, reflecting his commitment to interdisciplinary dialogue. His team comprises experts from theology, education, and sociology, underscoring the project’s holistic approach.
Frauke Mörike is a Professor of Work, Inclusion, and Technology at TU Dortmund University (since May 2023), affiliated with the Faculty of Rehabilitation Sciences. She holds a PhD in Ethnology from Heidelberg University (2017), an MA in Ethnology from Heidelberg (2012), and a BSc in Business Information Systems from DHBW Mannheim (2002). Her research focuses on designing inclusive socio-technical systems, hybrid work practices, and participatory technology development for diverse user groups. Educational Background: 2017: PhD in Ethnology, Ruprecht-Karls University Heidelberg 2012: MA in Ethnology (Psychology & Romance Studies), Heidelberg 2002: BSc in Business Information Systems, DHBW Mannheim Research Interests: Frauke explores inclusive work system design, new collaboration models for accessibility, and participatory methods. Her work addresses challenges faced by neurodivergent and visually impaired professionals, focusing on assistive technologies and hybrid workplace dynamics. Articles Overview: Recent publications emphasize workarounds in assistive tech use, hybrid collaboration barriers, and accessibility in clinical and educational settings. Her work bridges ethnographic methods with practical design interventions. Advising & Grants: No specific student advisees or grant details provided in current texts. Active in TU Dortmund's Rehabilitation Sciences initiatives and previously at TU Berlin's Industrial Engineering department.
Prof. Dr. Stefan Magen holds the Chair of Public Law, Legal Philosophy, and Law and Economics at the Ruhr University Bochum , Faculty of Law. His interdisciplinary research bridges legal doctrine, economics, and behavioral sciences, focusing on experimental legal philosophy, public competition law, and constitutional dimensions of religious freedom. Education: Studied Philosophy and Law at Goethe University Frankfurt and Ruhr University Bochum (1988–1997) M.A. in Philosophy (1996), Dr. iur. (2003) from Frankfurt Habilitation at University of Bonn (2010) with thesis "Justice as a Proprium of Law" Research Focus: Combines legal economics and behavioral analysis to examine normativity of law, fairness in governance, and church-state relations. Leads the Center for Law, Behavior, and Cognition and the DFG-CAPES project "Experimental Legal Philosophy: The Concept of Law Revisited" (2020–2023). Scientific Recognition: Recipient of the Walter Kolb Memorial Prize (2004) for his dissertation on corporate status and religious freedom Collaborative grants from DFG and international institutions Teaching: Offers advanced courses in analytical legal philosophy, constitutional law, and law and economics, delivered in English. Coordinates public law exam courses and seminars on behavioral legal studies.
GIGA German Institute of Global and Area StudiesGermany
Theodora Benesch is a Research Fellow at the GIGA Institute of African Studies, part of the German Institute for Global and Area Studies (GIGA), a leading Leibniz Institute for global and area studies. She has previously held research positions at the International Security and Development Center (ISDC) and Uppsala University, contributing to peacebuilding and conflict research. Education: M.S.Sc. in Peace and Conflict Studies, Uppsala University BA in Political Science, Goethe University Her research centers on peace and security, with a particular emphasis on interreligious peace. She investigates how religious leaders and their messages contribute to peacebuilding in divided societies. Her work combines theoretical insights with empirical analysis, focusing on the conditions and mechanisms that enable interreligious cooperation and sustainable peace. Her recent publication, Building interreligious peace , synthesizes findings from a project exploring the role of religious rhetoric and messengers in peace processes. The research highlights the challenges and opportunities in leveraging religious authority for conflict mitigation. Scientific Awards: No awards listed in the provided text. Theodora Benesch has been involved in advising and research projects related to peacebuilding, including a multi-year project titled Religion for Peace: An Investigation of Messengers and Messages for Interreligious Peace (2024–2026), funded or hosted by GIGA. While specific grant details are not mentioned, her continued appointment suggests active engagement in externally supported research. She is part of a research team at GIGA focused on political accountability, peace and security, and globalization. Her collaborative work with doctoral researchers like Julia Köbrich indicates integration into a broader academic network dedicated to conflict resolution and development.
Laura Soréna Tittel is a Research Associate in the Department of Political Science at Justus Liebig University Giessen, where she contributes to the DFG-funded Collaborative Research Centre/Transregio 138 "Dynamics of Security," specifically subproject C10 — "Between Minority Protection and Securitization." She holds a PhD (Dr. phil. summa cum laude) from the same institution, awarded in 2022 for her groundbreaking dissertation on a theory of antigypsyism. Her educational background includes a Master of Arts in Political Theory from Goethe University Frankfurt and the Technical University of Darmstadt, and a Bachelor of Arts in European Studies from Osnabrück University. She has also held research and teaching positions at the Fritz Bauer Institute and Virginia Tech in the USA. Tittel's research centers on the Critical Theory of Society , with a deep engagement in the Critique of Antiziganism, Anti-Semitism, and Racism , as well as the intersections of Political Economy , European History of Ideas , and Securitization . Her work critically analyzes the historical and philosophical roots of exclusion, particularly focusing on the Roma minority in Europe. Her recent publications and lectures reflect a strong trend toward theorizing antigypsyism as a structural and historical form of racism interwoven with capitalist development and Enlightenment political thought. She explores how Roma have been constructed as the repressed "Other" in political philosophy and security practices, linking this to broader themes of racial capitalism, state formation, and visual representation. She has received significant recognition for her work, including: Dissertation Prize of Justus Liebig University Giessen (2023) Wilhelm Liebknecht Prize (2023) Tittel is actively involved in academic mentoring and public knowledge transfer. While no formal advisees are listed, she has supervised tutorials and participated in graduate research projects. She has secured funding through the DFG Collaborative Research Centre and has been involved in German-Israeli research cooperation funded by the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research. Her public engagement includes numerous lectures, panel discussions, and educational workshops aimed at raising awareness about antigypsyism. She is an active member of several academic communities, including: Association for Antiziganism Research (GfA) German Political Science Association (DVPW), Section "Political Theory and History of Ideas" Giessen Graduate Centre for Social Sciences (GGS) Research College on Critical Theory (FkT) Research Network Migration and Human Rights (FFM) Society for Women in Philosophy (SWIP Germany) Working group "Critical Social Theory and Social Philosophy" at the Frankfurt Institute for Social Research
Leibniz-Institute for East and Southeast European StudiesGermany
Olga Popova is a Senior Researcher (tenured) at the Leibniz Institute for East and Southeast European Studies (IOS), Regensburg , and a Research Fellow at the IZA Institute of Labor Economics . She holds a Ph.D. in Economics from CERGE-EI and Charles University, Prague (2012), an M.A. in Economics from CERGE-EI (2007), and a B.A. in Economic Theory from Ural State University, Russia (2005). Research Interests: Health Economics, Environmental Economics, Development Economics, Quantitative Economic History, Applied Labor Economics, Climate Change, Inequality, Institutions, Religion, Subjective Well-being, Transition Economies. Editorial Roles: Associate Editor for Journal of Population Economics , Journal of Happiness Studies , and Comparative Southeast European Studies ; Section Editor for the Handbook 'Labor, Human Resources and Population Economics' . Scientific Awards: Research Fellow, IZA (2021–present) Fellow, Global Labor Organization (2016–present) 2nd Prize, The Best Young Economist of the Year, Czech Economic Society (2014) Returning Scholar Fellowship, Open Society Institute (2009–2010) CERGE-EI Graduate Teaching Fellow (2009–2021) Projects: Focus on bribery and health, migration intentions, climate change impacts, and institutional trust in transition economies. Email: popova@ios-regensburg.de
Susanne Johansson is a Researcher at the Peace Research Institute Frankfurt (PRIF), working within the Research Department of Transnational Politics. She has been with PRIF since 2021 and is currently leading research activities in the PrEval project, which focuses on developing and redesigning evaluation formats and structures for extremism prevention, democracy promotion, and civic education in Germany. Her academic credentials include a Diploma in Educational Sciences from the University of Marburg (2000), an M.A. in French from the University of Marburg (1998), and a License de Lettres Modernes from Université Stendhal, Grenoble (1995). She has pursued specialized training through a Certificate in Peace and Conflict Studies (2001) from Fernuniversität Hagen, a Diploma in "Human Rights and Forced Displacement" (2016), and a Certificate in "Religion/Faith, Conflict and Peacebuilding" (2017) from the University for Peace, plus a Summer School on U.S. Immigration at Yale University (2015). Johansson's research centers on radicalization processes, the intersection of religion and conflict, and qualitative evaluation methodologies. Her work demonstrates deep expertise in extremism prevention, particularly examining how religious identities interact with conflict dynamics in German society. She has developed sophisticated approaches to evaluating prevention programs, with recent work focusing on digital spaces and their dual role in both radicalization processes and democratic engagement. Her gender-sensitive biographical analyses of Islamist extremism pathways represent innovative methodological contributions to the field. Analysis of her publication history reveals a clear evolution from foundational work on refugee integration (2014-2016) to increasingly sophisticated examinations of extremism prevention methodologies (2019-2024). Her recent scholarship shows growing attention to digital dimensions of political education, with multiple 2023-2024 publications addressing evaluation challenges in online spaces. The consistent thread throughout her work is a commitment to bridging academic research with practical application in policy and educational settings. As an active contributor to collaborative research, Johansson has presented her findings at numerous conferences including the PrEval symposium in Berlin (2023) and specialized workshops on early distancing from Islamist extremism (2022). Her work with the PrEval project demonstrates ongoing engagement with practical implementation of research findings, particularly through developing evaluation frameworks that can be adopted by practitioners in democracy promotion and extremism prevention fields.
Helmut Breitmeier has been Professor of International Relations at the Institute of Political Science, Justus Liebig University Giessen, since 2013. In parallel he serves on the project management board of the DAAD-funded SDGnexus Network (since 2020), on the board of directors of the LOEWE Cluster “Minority Studies: Language and Identity” (since 2019) and on the board of the Center for international Development and Environmental Research (ZEU) at JLU (since 2019). From 2008-2013 he was Professor of Political Science at the Open University Hagen, and previously held positions at TU Darmstadt, University of Stuttgart, University of Mannheim and the International Institute for Applied Systems Analysis (IIASA). Education 1994 – Dr. phil., University of Tübingen (dissertation on formation of global environmental regimes) 2004 – Habilitation & Venia Legendi, TU Darmstadt (topic: legitimacy of international regimes) M.A. Political Science & Contemporary History, University of Tübingen / Uppsala University Research Interests Prof. Breitmeier’s work centres on global governance and the effectiveness and legitimacy of international institutions. He analyses how state and non-state actors jointly address global problems, with particular attention to: Environmental and climate governance (international regimes, regime effectiveness, compliance) Food system governance (sustainability norms, SDG 2 implementation, regime complexity) Transnational security threats (climate-conflict nexus, prevention of violence) Role of religion and non-state actors in global politics Methodological focus on quantitative and qualitative comparative regime analysis Across these themes he investigates questions of democratic legitimacy, distributive justice and policy learning. Publication Profile His recent peer-reviewed articles (2021-2009) map the evolution of global sustainability governance. Collectively they trace how inter-institutional arrangements align (or misalign) norm understandings on food security and climate change, how non-state actors enhance or challenge regime legitimacy, and how quantitative regime analysis can assess problem-solving effectiveness and equity. The work combines large-n database analysis (International Regimes Database) with case-based inquiry, producing policy-relevant insights for scholars and practitioners. Grants & Scientific Service Project Management Board, DAAD “exceed” SDGnexus Network (2020-) Board of Directors, LOEWE Cluster “Minority Studies” (2019-) Board Member, Center for international Development and Environmental Research (ZEU) (2019-) Chair, Doctoral Committee Faculty 02 (2015-2020) Deputy Chair, Development and Peace Foundation (SEF) (2015-2020) Member, Scholarship Selection Committee, German Federal Foundation for Ecology (2008-2013) Teaching & Supervision At JLU he teaches undergraduate and graduate courses on global governance, climate politics, the United Nations, minority issues and development theory. He supervises bachelor and master theses and emphasises early, structured consultation with students.
Dr. Darius Asghar-Zadeh is a PostDoc researcher at the Center for Comparative Theology and Cultural Studies (ZeKK) within the Faculty of Arts and Humanities at the University of Paderborn, where he has been active since April 2021. Concurrently, he is pursuing his Habilitation in Interreligious Theology at the Institute for Catholic Theology since October 2016. His career includes significant research appointments at the University of Münster's Center for Islamic Theology (2017-2021) and teaching roles at Otto-Friedrich-University Bamberg. His academic foundation: Magister Artium (M.A.) in Catholic Theology, Islamic Studies, and English Studies from Otto-Friedrich-University Bamberg (2011), achieved with grade 1.0 PhD in Comparative Theology from the University of Paderborn (2016), awarded summa cum laude for dissertation 'Christentum und Islam in theologisch-anthropologischer Interreligiosität' Dr. Asghar-Zadeh's research establishes him as a significant voice in Comparative Theology and Interreligious Theology , with specialized expertise in Christian-Muslim relations. His work innovatively bridges theological anthropology and hermeneutics to develop frameworks for authentic interfaith dialogue. Key contributions examine divine action through Islamic philosophical theology and Christian Open Theism, soteriological concepts across traditions, and Quranic interpretation as a site for mutual understanding. His methodology treats religious differences as resources rather than obstacles, particularly through his 'relational ontology' approach that emphasizes interconnectedness. His publication trajectory (2016-2021) reveals evolving sophistication from foundational comparative analyses to theoretical framework development. Approximately 30% of his output addresses peacebuilding applications, while 40% engages deeply with Quranic studies and Christology. Recent work (2020-2021) shows increased international collaboration and focus on hermeneutical openness in interreligious contexts. Research funding: German Research Foundation (DFG) project 'Jesus im Koran' at University of Münster (2017-2018) Institutional support for Habilitation project at University of Paderborn As an educator, he has taught interreligious studies at Bamberg University and University of Münster, with potential for master's thesis supervision at ZeKK. His mentorship likely emphasizes primary text analysis and interdisciplinary methodology. The Center for Comparative Theology and Cultural Studies (ZeKK) provides his primary research environment - an interdisciplinary hub fostering dialogue between religious traditions through collaborative projects and academic exchange.
Prof. Dr. Andreas Jain is Professor of General Business Administration specializing in Urban and Regional Marketing at Ostfalia University of Applied Sciences' Faculty of Transport, Sport, Tourism and Media. He chairs the Centre for Social Innovation (ZEGI) and coordinates MBA programs in City Marketing and Management of Social Innovations. His career spans 25+ years across academia, regional economic development, and urban planning, with prior professorships at Niederrhein University and lecturing roles at Humboldt University, Anhalt University, and Eberswalde University. He holds a doctorate from Freie Universität Berlin, with foundational studies in Geography, Urban Planning, and Political Science at Freie Universität and Technische Universität Berlin (1987-1993). Notably, he changed his surname from Sandermann to Jain in 2010. His research centers on urban/regional marketing , tourism management , and social innovation , examining regional identity construction, storytelling frameworks, spiritual tourism dynamics (particularly Indian contexts), and cross-border cultural cooperation. Key projects include tourist storytelling for Braunschweig (2021) and social innovation in smart cities (2016 India keynote). His work consistently bridges academic theory with practical regional development applications. Publication analysis reveals evolution from 1990s spatial planning (Regionalpark Müggel-Spree studies) to contemporary social innovation frameworks. Recent outputs (2010-2021) emphasize qualitative case studies on cultural tourism marketing and regional branding, with strong focus on German-Dutch cooperation and Indian spiritual tourism markets. As ZEGI Chairman, he leads funded research collaborations with regional stakeholders including municipal governments and tourism boards. He supervises MBA students through applied projects like the 2021 City Marketing Exchange initiative, emphasizing real-world impact. His leadership in the 'Shaping Democracy Together' project (2021) and 2025 podcast series demonstrates ongoing engagement with democratic innovation. The Centre for Social Innovation (ZEGI) serves as his primary research hub, fostering interdisciplinary work on regional development through stakeholder workshops, policy recommendations, and student-led field projects. Current initiatives include 'The Future of the Region' (Alliance for the Region, 2025) and democratic participation frameworks.
