Katharina Mann

Dr. Katharina Mann is a Research Fellow at the Georg Eckert Institute, where she works on the interdisciplinary project "Negotiating Democracy: Schools and the Politics of Education in the Colombian Peace Process" funded by the Gerda Henkel Foundation since 2024. Her work focuses on the intersection of education, democracy, and peace processes in Colombia.

Dr. Mann's educational background includes:

• Political Science studies at Leibniz University Hannover and Universidad de La Habana, Cuba
• Master's in Peace Studies and International Politics at Eberhard-Karls-Universität Tübingen and University of Cape Town, with a focus on conflict analysis, peace pedagogy, and youth violence in urban contexts
• PhD in International Relations from TU Braunschweig, with a dissertation on Female Gang Membership in Medellin, Colombia

Dr. Mann's research specializes in understanding urban insecurity, particularly focusing on female gang membership in Medellín, Colombia. Her work examines the complex relationship between gender, violence, and urban conflict, with particular attention to how women navigate and participate in gang structures within contexts of urban insecurity. She has conducted extensive field research in Colombia, exploring ethical challenges in researching violent contexts and the governance structures of gangs and cartels. Her research bridges theoretical frameworks from international relations, gender studies, and conflict analysis to provide nuanced understandings of urban violence and peace processes. Her publications consistently analyze the gendered dimensions of urban conflict while addressing methodological challenges in studying violent environments.

From 2021 to 2023, Dr. Mann managed a violence prevention project against sexual violence in the international civil peace service in Nicaragua, demonstrating her commitment to applied research and practical peacebuilding initiatives. Her current project at the Georg Eckert Institute examines how schools and educational institutions interact with and influence democratic processes within the context of Colombia's peace agreement, building on her extensive field experience in conflict zones.