Genia Kostka

Genia Kostka is a Professor of Chinese Politics at Freie Universität Berlin, serving as Head of the Institute for Chinese Studies. Her research focuses on digital governance, environmental politics, and political economy, with a regional emphasis on China. She holds a PhD in Development Studies from the University of Oxford and has held previous academic roles at the Hertie School and Frankfurt School of Finance and Management. Kostka’s current projects include an ERC-funded study on digital governance in China and collaborations exploring privacy in digital systems. She advises international organizations such as the World Bank and OECD.

Her research spans topics like China’s social credit systems, environmental policy implementation, and the impact of digital technologies on governance. Notable projects include analyzing citizen perceptions of contact tracing apps and investigating interjurisdictional cooperation in China. Kostka has published extensively in journals like *New Media & Society* and *Environmental Politics*, and her work addresses both domestic and global implications of China’s political and economic dynamics.

Key achievements include securing an ERC Starting Grant (2020-2025) and leading the *PRIVACY-China* project (2024-2027). Her academic contributions bridge theoretical insights with practical policy analysis, particularly regarding authoritarian governance and digital transformation.