Experience

Postdoctoral Researcher

Freie Universität Berlin, Germany

Research on human rights, academic freedom and political coercion using qualitative and quantitative methods at the Koselleck project TRANSNORMS (since 2026) and at the Cluster of Excellence “Contestations of the Liberal Script” (SCRIPTS, 2021-2025).

Visiting Scholar

Stanford University, USA

Several months of field research on academic freedom contestations in the United States, with focus on California and Florida.

Research Fellow

Global Public Policy Institute, Germany

  • Research fellow (2019–21): Project lead & budget responsibility in several research projects. Focus on quantitative data collection & analysis; co-developed the Academic Freedom Index in close collaboration with the V-Dem Institute.
    • Part-time research associate (2014–19): Contribution to research and evaluation projects on political prisoners and humanitarian topics.

Consultant / Carlo Schmid Fellow

UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights, Switzerland

  • Pro bono consultant (2017): Conducted survey among sources for random sample of individual cases addressed by UN Special Rapporteur on human rights defenders, assessing case outcomes and impact.
    • Carlo Schmid Fellow (2013/14): Supported Human Rights Council Branch; assisted Syria, Palestine, and Egypt teams in MENA section.

Education

Ph.D. Political Science

Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg

Thesis entitled Can international attention protect and enable human rights defenders? Quantitative and qualitative evidence from UN Special Procedures and the case of Tunisia. Supervised by Prof. Uwe Wagschal. Grade: 1.5 / “magna cum laude”.

M.A. Applied Political Science

Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg & Sciences Po Aix-en-Provence

Thesis entitled Palestine under the rainbow. The Palestinian LGBTQ movement in transnational perspective (in French). Supervised by Prof. Aude Signoles. Award for Best Master’s Thesis by Sciences Po Aix. Grade: 1.1 / “very good”.

B.A. Applied Political Science

Albert-Ludwigs-Universität Freiburg

Thesis entitled The significance of internal security policies during democratic transitions (in German). Supervised by Prof. Georg Wenzelburger. Grade: 1.5 / “very good”.
Awards & Scholarships
Fundamental Academic Values Award (First prize)
DAAD (German Academic Exchange Service) ∙ November 2022
Awarded to early career scientists who have made an outstanding scientific contribution towards the preservation and advocacy of fundamental academic values in the European Higher Education Area.
Award for Best Master’s Thesis
Sciences Po Aix ∙ January 2016
Honored as the best thesis of the academic year for excellence in research and scholarship.
Ph.D. Scholarship
Studienstiftung des deutschen Volkes ∙ November 2015
Merit‑based scholarship awarded for academic excellence and leadership potential in service of the common good (held November 2015 – January 2019).
Carlo Schmid Fellowship
DAAD (German Academic Exchange Service) ∙ September 2013
Awarded to highly qualified students for internships at international organizations (held September 2013 – February 2014).
Studies Scholarship
Studienstiftung des deutschen Volkes ∙ February 2010
Merit‑based scholarship awarded for academic excellence and leadership potential in service of the common good (held February 2010 – September 2015).
Best High School Diploma
German Physical Society & Robert Bosch Foundation ∙ June 2008
Two awards for school-wide best high school diploma in Physics and French.