Maria Bondes

Dr. Maria Bondes is a Senior Lecturer in the Elite Master’s Program “Standards of Decision-Making Across Cultures” at Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg. Her roles include teaching and research in Chinese studies, focusing on state-society relations and environmental governance. She holds a PhD in Chinese Studies from the University of Hamburg (2017) and a Magistra Artium in Chinese Studies, Political Science, and Macroeconomics from Hamburg University (2010).

Her research explores contentious politics, environmental governance, and digital transformation in China. Key themes include the role of digital technologies in public participation, anti-incineration activism networks, and the interplay between civil society and authoritarian regimes. She has collaborated with institutions like the GIGA Institute for Asian Studies and Freie Universität Berlin, contributing to national and international research networks.

Her publications include monographs such as *Chinese Environmental Contention: Linking Up against Waste Incineration* (2019) and peer-reviewed articles on topics like ICT-based participation and environmental protest dynamics in China. She has presented at major conferences, including the Association for Asian Studies and the International Studies Association.

Teaching focuses on contentious politics, public participation in authoritarian systems, and environmental governance. Current courses include “Contentious Politics” and “Public Participation in Authoritarian Regimes” at FAU. Past roles include guest lecturing at Freie Universität Berlin and research fellowships at the GIGA Institute.

Research projects involve collaborative studies on digital citizen participation and environmental governance in China, supported by grants such as the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) funding for her work on ideological change and regime legitimacy.