Julia Köbrich

Julia Köbrich is a Doctoral Researcher and Research Fellow at the German Institute for Global and Area Studies (GIGA), specifically within the Institute of African Studies. She has been with GIGA since November 2020, focusing on peace and security research with emphasis on African contexts. Her work bridges academic research with practical policy applications in conflict resolution and interreligious relations.

Her educational background includes an M.S.Sc. in Peace and Conflict Studies from Uppsala University and a BA in Political Science (Social and Economic Sciences) from the University of Erfurt. Prior to joining GIGA, she worked as a Research Associate at Uppsala University's Department of Peace and Conflict Studies during mid-2020.

Köbrich's research centers on the complex interplay between religion and peacebuilding in post-conflict societies, particularly examining how social identities, moral foundations, and intergroup contact influence reconciliation processes. She employs mixed-methods approaches to investigate interreligious peace mechanisms in Togo and Sierra Leone, challenging conventional wisdom about religious conflict by highlighting cases of successful coexistence. Her work explores how inclusive ideas about outgroup practices can weaken preferences for religiously similar others, thereby fostering greater social cohesion.

Her recent publications reveal a consistent focus on interreligious peace as a multidimensional concept, distinguishing between positive and negative elements as well as attitudinal and behavioral aspects. The research demonstrates how religious leaders can serve as effective peace messengers when their rhetoric aligns with community values, and how indirect contact mechanisms can complement direct intergroup interactions in peacebuilding efforts.

Köbrich actively engages in knowledge transfer through media appearances and public events, including interviews with Deutsche Welle discussing Christian-Muslim relations in Africa and participation in exhibitions highlighting Togo and Sierra Leone as models of interreligious tolerance. She has presented her findings at major academic conferences including the Conflict Research Society Annual Conference at the University of Edinburgh and the Jan Tinbergen European Peace Science Conference.

Her current research projects, including the DFG-funded 'Religion for Peace' initiative (2020-2024) and its follow-up 'Religion for Peace: An Investigation of Messengers and Messages' (2024-2026), examine how religious dignitaries function as peace ambassadors and how specific peace messages can be optimized for greater effectiveness in conflict-affected communities.