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.
Grzegorz Lechowski is a visiting researcher at the WZB Berlin Social Science Center within the Research Group Globalization, Work, and Production. His work focuses on technological, organizational, and regulatory changes in globalized industrial and digital economies, with expertise in digital sovereignty, geopolitics of tech, and automotive sector transitions. Doctoral candidate at Freie Universität Berlin Co-edited the 2025 book Global Shifts in the Automotive Sector with M. Krzywdzinski, J. Humphrey, and T. Pardi Collaborated with institutions like ETUI, SASE, and Gerpisa Network Research Themes : Lechowski examines the EU's digital sovereignty discourse, geopolitical tensions in tech value chains, and electromobility's impact on automotive labor and production. His studies span state-business dynamics, Industry 4.0, and global production reorganization. Key Trends in Publications : His outputs highlight geopolitical disruptions in automotive and digital sectors, EU industrial policy, green transitions, and reconfiguration of global value chains. Topics include electric vehicle supply chains, labor rights in electromobility, and corporate adaptation to regulatory shifts. Teaching : Lecturer at Helmut Schmidt University Hamburg for courses on globalization of industry and labor (2021) and introduction to sociology (2020). Projects & Collaborations : Co-led a VolkswagenStiftung-funded study on automotive responses to the pandemic (2021–2023). Participated in the Blankensee Colloquium on global digital economies (2022).
Asia J. Biega is a tenure-track faculty member (W2) at the Max Planck Institute for Security and Privacy (MPI-SP), where she leads the interdisciplinary Responsible Computing group. She is also a principal investigator of the Cluster of Excellence CASA and the FINDHR consortium. Her work sits at the intersection of computing and society, focusing on responsible computing, data protection & governance, and digital well-being within data-driven and AI-based systems. Dr. Biega's research spans multiple disciplines including computer science, law, philosophy, and social sciences. Her work examines how principles of responsible computing can be computationally operationalized, with particular attention to data protection frameworks, privacy technology governance, and digital well-being. She actively collaborates across disciplinary boundaries to make technical contributions while supporting research in other fields. Her approach combines theoretical rigor with practical applications, often drawing from her industry experience at Microsoft and Google. Her publication record reveals a strong focus on the intersection of fairness, privacy, and transparency in information retrieval systems. She has pioneered work on data minimization compliance, fair ranking algorithms, and user perceptions of data collection practices. Her research consistently bridges technical and legal perspectives, particularly examining how GDPR principles can be computationally implemented. Recent work shows increasing attention to generative AI governance, algorithmic hiring systems, and the relational aspects of data in recommender systems. Dr. Biega has received several prestigious awards including the Council of Europe's Rodotà Award for innovative research in data protection, the SaTML Notable Reviewer Award, the GI-DBIS Dissertation Award of the German Informatics Society, and recognition as one of the '100 Brilliant Women in AI Ethics' in 2025. She has advised numerous PhD students and postdocs who have gone on to faculty positions at institutions including the University of Trieste, Penn State, and the University of Washington. Her research is funded by the Max Planck Society, Alexander von Humboldt Foundation, and the European Union (Horizon Europe FINDHR). She serves as General Co-Chair for ACM FAccT 2025 and has held leadership roles in multiple academic conferences.
Leibniz Institute for Educational TrajectoriesGermany
Claudia Diehl is a Professor of Microsociology at the University of Konstanz, Germany, and co-speaker of the Cluster of Excellence The Politics of Inequality . She is actively involved in research on migration, integration, ethnic discrimination, and educational inequality. Her recent work includes leading the PerFair project on students' perceptions of fairness in schools. She has held visiting positions at the Graduate Center of the City University of New York and the Munk School in Toronto. PhD in Sociology, University of Mannheim (2001) Former Professor, University of Göttingen Former Researcher, Federal Institute for Population Research Her research focuses on social and ethnic inequalities , particularly in education and labor markets. She investigates how immigrants and ethnic minorities experience discrimination, integration, and social mobility in Germany and Europe. Her interdisciplinary work combines sociological theory with empirical data from large-scale surveys and policy-relevant studies. The analysis of her recent publications reveals a consistent research trajectory centered on migration, integration, and inequality . Her work spans topics such as wage fairness, educational tracking, labor market participation, and perceived discrimination. There is a strong emphasis on comparative and longitudinal analysis , often using German and European datasets. Her publications appear in high-impact journals in sociology, migration studies, and social policy. Member, Advisory Board for Family Affairs Appointed to The Standing Conference of the Ministers of Education and Cultural Affairs of the Länder in Germany Claudia Diehl leads major research initiatives and collaborates with national and international scholars. She has contributed to policy discussions on integration, family, and education. While no direct mention of grants or advising is made, her leadership in large projects suggests active grant management and mentorship roles. She has published extensively, including special issues, edited volumes, and numerous journal articles.
Prof. Dr. Ulrike Freitag is a distinguished scholar in Islamic Studies and social history of the Arab world, holding a Professorship at Freie Universität Berlin and serving as Director of the Leibniz-Zentrum Moderner Orient (ZMO) . Her work bridges urban history, transregional Islamic networks, and Arabian Peninsula studies within Indian Ocean and Red Sea contexts. Education : PhD in Islamic Studies (Freiburg, 1991), Habilitation (Bonn, 2002) Research : Focus on Ottoman urban violence, Saudi state formation, Hadhrami diaspora, and historical urbanism in Jeddah Her supervision of PhD projects spans topics from Moroccan Sufi sanctußen to Yemeni Jewish communities. Recent scientific awards include fellowships at Leiden University and Käthe-Hamburger Kolleg. She contributes to public discourse through Tagesspiegel op-eds and international conferences.
Rhenish Friedrich Wilhelm University of BonnGermany
Professor Paul Marx is a faculty member at the University of Bonn, affiliated with the Faculty of Philosophy and the Institute of Political Science and Sociology. His research focuses on critical areas of political sociology and policy analysis, with particular emphasis on labor market dynamics and political participation. His research interests center on labor market policy , attitude research , policy analysis , politics and emotions , political socialization , tax and redistribution policy , and inequalities in political participation and representation . Professor Marx examines how economic conditions, particularly labor market experiences, shape political attitudes, behaviors, and representation. His work often employs mixed-methods approaches, combining quantitative analysis with qualitative insights from focus groups and elite interviews. Analysis of Professor Marx's recent publications reveals a consistent focus on the intersection of economic conditions and political behavior. His research demonstrates how labor market insecurity, income inequality, and welfare state policies influence political participation, voting behavior, and attitudes toward redistribution. A notable trend is his examination of political inequality, particularly how economic hardship in childhood affects later political engagement. His work also addresses contemporary political debates in Germany and Europe, including identity politics, gender-neutral language, and taxation policies. Professor Marx maintains an active research agenda with numerous publications in 2023-2025. His work appears to focus on German politics and comparative European welfare states, with some research extending to development contexts such as Bangladesh. His methodology frequently combines survey data with experimental and qualitative approaches to provide comprehensive insights into political behavior.
Klaus Hurrelmann is a Senior Professor of Public Health and Education at the Hertie School. Previously, he served as the founding dean of the first Faculty of Health Sciences in Germany at Bielefeld University and directed the SFB 227 research center for twelve years. His research emphasizes health and education policy, prevention strategies in childhood and adolescence, and the governance of healthcare systems. He has coordinated major studies such as the HBSC for the WHO and leads ongoing national studies on family and youth development. He studied at the University of Münster and the University of California, Berkeley, where he earned a doctorate focusing on educational systems and society. His work spans multidisciplinary collaborations, including leadership roles in longitudinal studies like the COPSY project analyzing youth mental health during the pandemic. Research interests include health literacy, systemic crisis response in education, and the interplay between societal trends and youth development. His recent publications highlight generational shifts in responsibility, pandemic impacts on mental health, and policy reforms in healthcare governance. He advises government agencies on youth policy and health system reforms, leveraging his expertise in evidence-based strategies. His current focus includes digital health literacy and the role of schools in addressing societal polarization.
Inho Hong is an Assistant Professor at the Graduate School of Data Science, Chonnam National University (Gwangju, Korea), leading the Computational Social Science and Complex Systems Lab (CSL). His research explores socio-spatial systems through data science and complex systems methods, focusing on urban dynamics, human mobility, and AI's societal impact. Education: Ph.D. in Physics (2019), Pohang University of Science and Technology (POSTECH) M.S. in Physics (2012), POSTECH B.S. in Physics (2010), POSTECH Research Interests: Urban Data Science : Analyzing urban scaling laws and innovation pathways Human Mobility : Modeling intra-city movement patterns Social Impact of AI : Ethical and societal challenges Natural Language Processing : Text embedding for policy analysis Complex Systems : Network approaches to protests and epidemics Recent Work Trends: Over 2020–2022, his articles centered on pandemic control, protest networks, and urban green spaces' psychological impact. Recent 2023–2025 work extends to vocational education analysis and mobility laws within cities. His methods combine network science with large-scale data analytics. Awards: Young Statistical Physicist Award (Korean Physical Society, 2021) Best Paper Award (Korea Computer Congress 2021) Global Ph.D. Fellowship (NRF, 2014–2017) Grants & Labs: Current lab focuses on socio-spatial systems. Past roles include Associate Research Scientist at Max Planck Institute for Human Development (2020–2023) and Postdoctoral Fellowships at POSTECH and APCTP.
Sebastian Pfotenhauer is a Carl von Linde Professor for Innovation Research at Technical University of Munich (TUM) and Deputy Head of the STS Department. He specializes in the societal dimensions of innovation, including governance of emerging technologies, regional innovation cultures, and responsible innovation practices. His work bridges academic research and policy, with leadership roles in major initiatives like the €50M Munich Cluster for the Future of Mobility (MCube) and the EU-funded SCALINGS project on co-creation in innovation. He holds a PhD in Physics from the University of Jena and postdoctoral training at MIT and Harvard. Research interests include innovation policy, science governance, and the interplay between technology and societal change. Notable projects include comparative studies of innovation cultures, governance frameworks for AI and neurotechnology, and global partnerships in science and innovation. He advises governments and international bodies like the OECD and the German Engineers’ Association (VDI). Publications span journals like Research Policy , Social Studies of Science , and Nature Biotechnology , addressing topics from regulatory sandboxes to neurotechnology ethics. Awards include the Leading Technology Policy Fellowship (MIT) and NSF grants for studying complex international partnerships.
Rainer Watermann is a Full Professor for Empirical Research in Education at the Free University of Berlin since 2011, previously serving as Full Professor for Education and Empirical Research in Schools at Georg-August University of Göttingen (2005-2011). His academic career includes significant research positions at the Max Planck Institute for Human Development in Berlin (1997-2005). Watermann earned his Diploma in Educational Science from the University of Münster (1996), followed by a Dr. phil (2002) and Habilitation (2005), both from Freie Universität Berlin. His educational background established the foundation for his extensive research in educational transitions and disparities. His research focuses on educational transitions, particularly from primary to secondary school and into higher education, examining motivational factors, social background influences, and achievement goal development. Watermann's work consistently addresses how social disparities affect educational opportunities and outcomes, with particular attention to gender differences and longitudinal developmental patterns. His methodological expertise includes latent class analysis, structural equation modeling, and large-scale assessment design. Watermann's publication portfolio reveals consistent research trajectories examining motivational frameworks (particularly expectancy-value theory), educational transitions, social disparities in education, and political socialization. His work spans both theoretical development and practical applications for educational policy and practice, with increasing focus on intervention effectiveness in recent years. As an active member of the academic community, Watermann serves on multiple editorial boards including the Swiss Journal for Educational Sciences and Empirical Educational Science , and regularly reviews for major educational and psychological journals. He has also contributed to significant research centers, including serving as spokesman for the Center for Empirical Research on Teaching and Learning in Schools (ZeUS) at the University of Göttingen (2008-2010). Watermann maintains an active research program with numerous collaborations across Germany and internationally, evidenced by his consistent publication record through 2025. His work bridges educational psychology, sociology of education, and policy-relevant research, maintaining strong connections between theoretical frameworks and practical educational contexts.
Leibniz Institute for Media Research | Hans-Bredow-InstitutGermany
Prof. Dr. Judith Möller is the Scientific Director of the Leibniz Institute for Media Research | Hans-Bredow Institute (HBI) and holds a joint professorship at the University of Hamburg's Institute for Journalism and Communication Studies. Her research focuses on political communication effects, media's role in public opinion formation, and algorithmic impacts on society. She previously served as Associate Professor at the University of Amsterdam and Adjunct Professor at the University of Trondheim. Key awards include the 2019 VENI Talent Track grant from NWO for her work on AI-driven societal effects. Her collaborative projects address disinformation, media regulation, and AI ethics. She advises institutions like ERGA, EPRA, and German media authorities, emphasizing practical applications of her research. Notable contributions include the Reuters Digital News Report series and studies on generative AI's societal implications. Education: Previous academic roles at University of Amsterdam & Trondheim. Affiliated with ASCoR, CPC, and ICDS research initiatives.
Axel Dreher is Professor of International and Development Politics at Heidelberg University’s Alfred-Weber-Institute for Economics. He is a leading scholar in political economy and development economics, with extensive affiliations including the German National Academy of Sciences Leopoldina, CEPR, CESifo, KOF, AidData, and EUDN. He serves as Editor of the Review of International Organizations and Co-Director of the Center for European Studies (CefES) at the University of Milan-Bicocca. Ruprecht-Karls-University Heidelberg (2011–Present) Georg-August University Göttingen (2008–2011) ETH Zurich (2005–2008) University of Konstanz (2004–2005) University of Exeter (2003–2004) University of Mannheim (2000–2003) His research centers on political economy , economic development , foreign aid , and globalization . He investigates how political institutions, leadership incentives, and geopolitical interests shape development outcomes and international financial flows. His work often employs empirical and geospatial methods to analyze aid allocation, corruption, migration, and the rise of emerging donors like China. The 15 most recent publications reflect a strong focus on China’s overseas development finance , regional favoritism , and the political determinants of aid . Keywords span political economy, development economics, and international relations, with subfields including Chinese foreign aid, geospatial analysis, governance, institutional quality, and South-South cooperation. His recent book Banking on Beijing and award-winning paper Wedded to Prosperity exemplify his cutting-edge contributions to understanding the political economy of development. Scientific awards include: 2023 Best Paper Award, Political Economy of Aid Society (PEAS) 2023 Best New Dataset Award, International Political Economy Society International Geneva (IG) Award 2020 Excellence in Refereeing Award, World Bank Economic Review (2019) 2010 KfW Excellence Award for policy-relevant research Multiple DFG and Swiss research grants Dreher has advised over 30 PhD students on topics ranging from aid effectiveness to political violence and migration. He has received major research grants from the German Research Foundation (DFG), Swiss Network for International Studies (SNIS), European Commission, and VolkswagenStiftung. His leadership roles include organizing the annual Political Economy of International Organizations conference series and serving on editorial boards of top journals such as World Development and Defence and Peace Economics . He is actively involved in academic labs and research networks including the Courant Research Center on Poverty and Equity at Göttingen, AidData at William & Mary, and the Center for European Studies (CefES). His current work continues to explore the intersection of politics, development, and globalization, particularly through georeferenced data and natural experiments.
Prof. Jochen Hartmann holds the Digital Marketing professorship at the TUM School of Management (Munich). Previously, he was an assistant professor at the University of Groningen's School of Business and Economics and worked as a management consultant at McKinsey & Company. He earned his doctorate from the University of Hamburg and coordinated the DFG research group FOR 1452 (2019-2022). His research focuses on digital marketing and machine learning, particularly analyzing unstructured data (computer vision, NLP) and generative AI. Key themes include social media, algorithmic fairness, diversity in advertising, and human-machine interactions. Education: Ph.D. in Business Administration (University of Hamburg), Management Consulting experience at McKinsey & Company. Research interests combine cutting-edge AI techniques with marketing challenges. Recent work explores generative AI's impact on advertising, algorithmic bias in finance, and visual search innovations. His text/image mining studies rank among top-cited articles in marketing journals like the International Journal of Research in Marketing and Journal of Marketing Research. Awards include the EMAC-Sheth Sustainability Award, Lindau Nobel Laureate Meetings' Young Economist distinction, and multiple best dissertation awards. Grants: Led DFG-funded research group (2019-2022). Affiliated with Columbia Business School (visiting scholar) and Mannheim Business School (lecturer in machine learning). Labs/Teams: Active in interdisciplinary research groups focusing on AI applications in marketing and business analytics.
Magnus Liebherr is a Professor at the University of Duisburg-Essen , focusing on Technology Acceptance , Artificial Intelligence , and Sustainable Transportation . His work bridges Business Administration with Human-Computer Interaction , exploring how users adapt to emerging technologies like autonomous vehicles and AI systems. Key research areas include: Acceptance of AI applications in mobility Business model development for climate-neutral transportation Cognitive and psychological factors in technology interaction Digital media effects on adolescent well-being Trust calibration in automated systems His recent publications examine Large Language Model dependency , gamified language learning , and mental workload metrics for autonomous vehicles. While no formal awards are listed, his interdisciplinary work spans psychology , engineering , and business strategy .
Cora Schmidt-Ott is a Postdoctoral Researcher at the Chair of Modern and Contemporary History (Prof. Dr. Jan Eckel) at the University of Freiburg . Her work focuses on the intellectual biography of Samuel P. Huntington and the broader intellectual history of the 20th century, particularly in relation to political stability, globalization, and the American Century. She collaborates with institutions like the German Historical Institute, Washington DC , and has led DFG-funded projects. Education: MA in Comparative Modern History (University of Freiburg & University of Bologna); BA in History and American Studies (University of Freiburg & Connecticut College) Her research explores the intersections of political theory, Cold War liberalism, and transnational historical processes, with a particular emphasis on Huntington's influence on postcolonial state-building and global order. She has contributed to debates on migration, museum narratives, and post-war societal transformations. Recent publications and lectures highlight her expertise in political history, American studies, and Cold War-era intellectual networks. She has received scholarships from the Bavaria Graduation Scholarship , Max Weber Fellowship , and Erasmus Program , among others. Scientific Awards: Bavaria Graduation Scholarship (2016) Max Weber Fellowship (2015) Erasmus Scholarship (2013) Baden-Württemberg Scholarship (2011) Cora Schmidt-Ott contributes to academic discourse through her leadership in workshops, teaching roles in seminars on decolonization and 20th-century history, and her ongoing project funded by the German Research Foundation on Samuel Huntington's intellectual legacy.
