Sarah Kirst

Dr. Sarah Kirst is the Managing Director and Scientific Coordinator of the SFB 138 'Dynamiken der Sicherheit' at Philipps-Universität Marburg. She holds a PhD (summa cum laude) in Political Science from Freie Universität Berlin (2021) and has extensive experience in teaching and research. Her roles include project leadership (e.g., 'Trotz Reichtum Arm' 2021-2022) and mediation certification (BlauRaum, Frankfurt 2021). She has taught courses on qualitative methods, conflict analysis, and land transformations at institutions like the Hochschule für Nachhaltige Entwicklung Eberswalde and the Otto-Suhr-Institut (FU Berlin).

Education:

• 2021: PhD (summa cum laude), Freie Universität Berlin
• 2008-2012: MA in Peace and Conflict Research, Philipps-Universität Marburg
• 2005-2008: BA in European Studies (binational), University of Paderborn & Université du Maine

Research Interests: Dr. Kirst’s work focuses on political ecology, land conflicts, and traditional authority systems in West Africa. She explores how inequality shapes resource disputes, particularly in Ghana and Burkina Faso. Her methodology emphasizes qualitative empirical research.

Publications & Projects: Her 2022 book on land grabbing in Ghana and collaborative projects like the Wörterbuch Land- und Rohstoffkonflikte (2019) highlight her leadership in conflict studies. Recent articles analyze traditional governance’s role in resolving resource conflicts.

Awards:

• PhD summa cum laude (2021)

Grants & Advising: As a research associate for the GLOCON project (2015-2019), she studied global change and local conflicts. Her teaching spans qualitative methods and conflict analysis in higher education institutions.

Labs/Teams: She collaborates with the SFB 138 and the Otto-Suhr-Institut, contributing to interdisciplinary research on security dynamics and resource conflicts.