Alexander Mewes

Academic Background

M.A. Development Studies with focus on “Economics”
B.A. International Management with language focus on Spanish.

Expertise

Thematical: Food Systems, Food Security, risk perception and Climate Change adaptation in rural and urban spaces, WASH (Community-Led Total Sanitation), ecosystem services, new institutional economics.

Methodological: (Digital) Qualitative (focus groups, interview techniques), quantitative (SPSS/STATA, RCTs), and participatory methods, Project Cycle Management, project evaluation, Co-Research approach, application for funds (EU, BMZ).

Overseas Project

South Africa: Covid-19 Lockdown and the Impact on Local Food Systems: Food Security and Nutrition in Marginalised Communities – A Food Justice Perspective from the Cape Flats and St. Helena Bay.
Cooperation Partners: Cape Town Urban Research Farmer Club; Weskus Mantije; Associate Professor Dr. Associate Professor Dr. Jane Battersby, African Centre for Cities, UCT; Heinrich Böll Foundation, Cape Town; Solidaridad Southern Africa; Institute for Critical Food Studies, UWC; INKOTA-netzwerk e.V.; Brot für die Welt.

Short CV

Alexander Mewes went on a one-year student exchange to Chile, where he learned Spanish and then began his studies in International Management with a focus on Spanish in Flensburg. During his studies, he was interested in New Institutional Economics and the social effects of socio-economic inequality. After completing a semester abroad in Colombia, he wrote his bachelor thesis on the impact of socio-economic inequality in Chocó, Colombia. Alexander decided to pursue a master’s degree in Development Studies at the University of Passau to continue his work in development cooperation. He began with a stronger focus on research in the agricultural and environmental sector but later was interested more by risk adaptation in urban areas, exemplified by his semester abroad in the Philippines. During a BEAF-GIZ funded research stay at the IITA (CGIAR) in Tamale, Ghana, he was able to study the risk perception of small farmers in rural areas and apply several participative methods of data collection. After his master thesis on this topic, he returned to Ghana as an intern for the Swiss research institute EAWAG-Aquatic Research to participate in the coordination and quality control of the data collection of a randomized controlled trial in the WASH sector. He then worked at this institute as a guest researcher for the further processing of the collected data. He then became an intern at the Economics of Land Degradation Initiative at GIZ in the field of ecosystem services calculation and in the strategic dissemination of research results into policy. Afterwards, he attended an advanced training as “Coordinator in International Project Management (IPM) with focus on Humanitarian Aid and Development Cooperation”at Gesellschaft für Nachhaltige Entwicklung in Witzenhausen to acquire skills on project management, project acquisition and management tools for development cooperation.
Alexander speaks fluent German, English, and Spanish, and has basic knowledge of French.

Contact

alexander.mewes[at]posteo.de www.linkedin.com/in/alexander-mewes

Andrej Sbrisny

Academic Background

M.Sc. Geographical Development Studies, Freie Universität Berlin
B.A. Political Science (Minor: Sociology), Johannes Gutenberg-Universität Mainz. Erasmus exchange semester: Environmental Governance, Umeå University (Schweden).

Expertise

Thematical: Rural Development, Natural Resource Management, Climate Change Adaptation, Disaster Risk Management, Peace and Conflict Studies, Good Governance.

Methodological: Quantitative and qualitative methods of empirical social research, conflict analysis, Participatory Rural Appraisal (PRA), value chains, economic potential analysis, vulnerability and livelihood analysis, project management, participatory methods, moderation.

Overseas Project

Cambodia: Potentials of Agricultural Cooperatives to Improve Livelihoods and Food Security of Landless and Land-Poor Households in Cambodia.
Cooperation Partner: Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ).

Short CV

Andrej studied political science and sociology (B.A.) at the Johannes Gutenberg University in Mainz, focusing on international cooperation, political systems, governance, and social inequality. He then completed his master’s degree in Geographical Development Studies (M.Sc.) at Freie Universität Berlin, where he focused on topics of development and transformation in the Global South. In his master's thesis he analyzed environmental conflicts over access to and control over resources in a high mountain region of Peru, which is characterized by large-scale mining projects. During his studies he completed an internship at Peace Research Institute Frankfurt (PRIF) in Frankfurt a.M. in the project "One-sided or Balanced: Which Post-Civil War Order Secures the Intrastate Peace?”. Here he conducted country reports and case studies and participated in scientific colloquia and qualitative analysis workshops. In his work as a student assistant at the Disaster Research Unit (DRU) in Berlin, Andrej assisted in the analysis of quantitative and qualitative data, writing reports and publications, public relations, editing, and helped plan and organize workshops. In addition, he worked on topics such as the emergence, course and management of crises and disasters, risk perception and reduction, disaster prevention, preparation and warning, disaster management and reconstruction. In the Promos research project in India "Urban Dairy Production in Varanasi, India: A Contested Form of Livelihood Strategy in a State of Uncertainty" he wrote an empirical study on urban livelihood strategies of small-scale urban dairy farmers in Varanasi in cooperation with Banaras Hindu University. Furthermore, Andrej completed an internship with the Peruvian non-governmental organization Red Muqui in Peru on topics of water management, resource conflicts, participation, human rights and rural development of indigenous and small-scale farming communities. Here, he wrote an empirical case study on the socio-ecological impacts of mining projects and the economic potential of small-scale agriculture and livestock farming, which is used for the implementation of sustainable development instruments for local and regional actors in Peru.
Andrej is fluent in German, English, and Spanish, proficient in Swedish and Serbian, and has basic knowledge of French and Russian.

Contact

andrej-sbrisny[at]gmx.de www.linkedin.com/in/andrej-sbrisny

Carolin Kern

Academic Background

M.Sc. Organic Agricultural Systems and Agroecology
B.Sc. Organic Agriculture and Marketing

Expertise

Thematical: Organic Farming, Edible Cities, Food Systems, SDGs, Gender, Equality, Youth Participation.

Methodological: Qualitative research, interviews, blogging, radio, moderation, public relations.

Overseas Project

Cambodia: Potentials of Agricultural Cooperatives to Improve Livelihoods and Food Security of Landless and Land-Poor Households in Cambodia.
Cooperation Partners: Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ).

Short CV

Before she started at the SLE, Carolin completed an internship at the Green Innovation Centres for the Agriculture and Food Sector (GIC) of the GIZ in Bonn. Prior to that, Carolin successfully completed the double master's degree program Organic Farming and Food Systems at the University of Natural Resources and Applied Life Sciences, Vienna (BOKU) and Organic Agricultural Systems and Agroecology at the University of Hohenheim (UHOH). During this time, she gained experience abroad through an excursion to study agriculture in Peru's diverse climates. After the weltwärts - Voluntary Service in Nicaragua in 2011/2012 (GIZ/BMZ), Carolin realized she would like to work in development aid again after completing her studies. Her primary career goal is to communicate sustainability. She wrote her master thesis on the topic of "Edible Cities" and their relevance for the implementation of sustainability goals (SDGs). She is also aware of how difficult it can be to implement politically set goals through her voluntary work for Plan International Deutschland e.V. and the German Society for the United Nations (DGVN) in the Gender Equity Working Group. Therefore, Carolin is motivated to apply the sensitivity and knowledge gained in study courses on the sustainable use of biological diversity, control, and certification processes within the framework of the postgraduate program of the SLE. Carolin enjoys taking on organizational tasks and connecting people. She has successfully completed various additional training courses in the field of media and sustainability, including her internship at the Collegium for the Management and Design of Sustainable Development (KMGNE), the radio station HORADS, and at two summer university programs. She is also familiar with a wide variety of structures and forms of organization through her continuous voluntary work.
Carolin speaks German, English, Spanish, and she has a basic knowledge of French.

Contact

kern.carolin[at]gmx.net www.linkedin.com/in/carolin-kern-492a8551/

Christopher Korb

Academic Background

M.Sc. Integrated Natural Resource Management
B.A. Business Administration

Expertise

Thematical: Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH), Integrated Water Resource Management (IWRM), Climate resilient agriculture.

Methodological: Quantitative and qualitative methods of empirical social research, Participatory Rural Appraisal (PRA), project management, facilitation.

Overseas Project

Cambodia: Potentials of Agricultural Cooperatives to Improve Livelihoods and Food Security of Landless and Land-Poor Households in Cambodia.
Cooperation Partners: Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ).

Short CV

Christopher studied Business Administration at the Bonn-Rhein-Sieg University of Applied Sciences in Rheinbach. As part of his bachelor's degree, Christopher completed a six-month internship at Obermann Consulting GmbH, a business psychology consultancy based in Cologne. Between his Bachelor and Master studies, Christopher did a ten-month voluntary service in Dharamsala, India, as part of weltwärts, where he worked with Tibetan refugees in exile. He received his master's degree in Integrated Natural Resource Management from the Humboldt University of Berlin with a focus on land and water management and climate change adaptation and mitigation. In collaboration with the NGO Non-Water Sanitation e.V. Christopher worked as a data analyst in a large-scale survey on the issue of open defecation in rural Maharashtra, India. He used the collected data for his master’s thesis, which examined the degree of social inclusiveness of the Indian government's approach to eliminate open defecation on the Indian subcontinent. Christopher has a lot of practical experience in the field of Water, Sanitation, and Hygiene (WASH). After completing a six-month internship in GIZ's Sector Program “Sustainable Sanitation” he worked as a student assistant at Deutsche Welthungerhilfe e.V., where he dealt with the nexus of WASH and nutrition. His regional focus is currently on South and Southeast Asia.
Christopher is fluent in German and English (C2) and also speaks good French and Spanish (B1).

Contact

christopher.korb[at]gmx.net www.linkedin.com/in/christopher-korb

Darina Döbler

Academic Background

M.A. Interdisciplinary Latin American Studies
B.A. Social Sciences

Expertise

Fair trade, value chains, solidarity-based economies, strengthening civil society, flight and migration, peace and conflict research.

Overseas Project

Cambodia: Potentials of Agricultural Cooperatives to Improve Livelihoods and Food Security of Landless and Land-Poor Households in Cambodia.
Cooperation Partners: Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ).

Short CV

Darina studied social sciences at the Humboldt University of Berlin and did research on engagement policies with a focus on working with refugees. During this time, she completed various internships in the field of citizen engagement and strengthening civil society. Subsequently, she completed a degree in Interdisciplinary Latin American Studies at the Free University of Berlin with a focus on development theories and strategies, crises and conflicts in Latin America, and sustainable development. Before she attended SLE, Darina worked as a project coordinator for the DAAD project INTEGRA (Integrating Refugees in Higher Education) at the Humboldt University of Berlin. In addition to managing the project, her work focused on providing advice on studying, asylum, and residence law. After graduating from high school, Darina gained experience abroad during a weltwärts voluntary service in Lima, Peru, where she accompanied social projects to promote female entrepreneurship and microcredit financing, as well as participatory educational workshops for women, young people, and children. A few years later, she returned to Lima for a semester abroad at the Universidad Nacional Mayor de San Marcos and did research on solidarity-based economies. During an internship at the Coordinadora Colombiana de Comercio Justo in Colombia, Darina worked with fair trade coffee cooperatives. One year later she returned to Colombia for her own field research on the participation and representation of small producers in the fair trade system.
Darina speaks German, English and Spanish fluently and has basic knowledge of Portuguese, French and Italian.

Contact

darinadoebler[at]aol.com

Gabriela Maldonado Castro

Academic Background

M.A. International Economics
Bachelor in Financial Engineering

Expertise

Thematical: Macroeconomics, International Political Economy, Economic Growth, Poverty Reduction, Global Value Chains, Gender, Governance, Business Administration, Financial Accounting.

Methodological: Quantitative and qualitative methods of empirical social research, Moderation, Conflict Analysis, Project Management methods for international cooperation projects, Financial Management, Financial Analysis, Cost Accounting.

Overseas Project

Benin: The Beninese Poultry Sector in the Face of Western Chicken Meat Imports: Analysing Trade Issues, Consumer Preferences, and Production Systems to Strengthen the National’s Sector Competitiveness.
Cooperation Partners: Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ).

Short CV

Gabriela studied financial engineering with a focus on cost accounting at the Universidad Privada Boliviana in Cochabamba, Bolivia. During this time, she also developed her skills in marketing and risk management through internships in the private and banking sector. She actively volunteered in different local NGOs which dealt with youth empowerment and children's rights. In her bachelor’s thesis, she conducted a pre-feasibility study for a social enterprise project. Gabriela gained experience abroad in Brazil, where she volunteered in an educational project for children. She then completed her master’s degree in international economics at the Berlin School of Economics and Law, a program that allowed her to deepen her critical understanding of today's discussions in economics. As she has a keen interest in the field of development economics, she wrote her master’s thesis on the topic global value chains and development. Here she dealt with industrial policy and its role in promoting economic and social upgrading.
Gabriela speaks Spanish, German, English and French and has a basic knowledge of Portuguese.

Contact

maldonado.gabriela[at]icloud.com www.linkedin.com/in/gabriela-maldonado-c/

Johanna Hansmann

Academic Background

M.Sc. Food Security and Development
B.Sc in Agricultural Sciences

Expertise

Food security, rural development, agribusiness, small and medium agro-enterprises, export and fair trade, public relations

Overseas Project

South Africa: Covid-19 lockdown and the impact on local food systems and food security in marginalised communities – A food justice perspective from the Cape Flats and St. Helena Bay.
Cooperation Partners: Cape Town Urban Research Farmer Club; Weskus Mantije; Associate Professor Dr. Jane Battersby, African Centre for Cities, UCT; Heinrich Böll Foundation, Cape Town; Solidaridad Southern Africa; Institute for Critical Food Studies, UWC; INKOTA-netzwerke.V.; Brot für die Welt.

Short CV

Johanna focused on the social and economic sciences of agriculture during her bachelor's degree at the Georg-August University in Göttingen, Germany. While studying, she completed an internship at the GIZ in Bolivia on sustainable and integrated management of water catchment areas. During her master's degree at the University of Reading in the UK, Johanna dealt primarily with the topics of rural development and value chains in the Global South. For her master's thesis she examined the implementation of food sovereignty in Bolivia’s Constitution and the impact of these policies on land reform and the export market of the quinoa sector. After completing her master's degree, Johanna completed an internship at the FAO in Rome on inclusive business models and the promotion of small and medium enterprises with a focus on sustainable markets, agribusiness, and rural transformation. Prior to the SLE study, she was employed for two years as a corporate social responsibility consultant for a company in Luxembourg that produces brazil nuts and markets them worldwide.
Johanna grew up bilingual (Spanish/German) and speaks English fluently.

Contact

joha.hansmann[at]gmail.com

Dr. Josephus Koks

Academic Background

Ph.D. Soil Science
M.Sc. Environmental Earth Science
B.Sc. Soil, Water, Atmosphere

Expertise

Soil science, geomorphology, hydrology, meteorology, agriculture and climate change.

Overseas Project

Cambodia: Potentials of Agricultural Cooperatives to Improve Livelihoods and Food Security of Landless and Land-Poor Households in Cambodia.
Cooperation Partners: Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ).

Short CV

Josephus studied geography in Wageningen, the Netherlands, as well as environmental and earth sciences in Berlin, Germany and Nanjing, China. He then obtained his doctorate in soil science from the University of Göttingen. His thematic focus is on soil science, geomorphology, hydrology, meteorology, agriculture, and climate change, against a societal background. In cooperation with local universities, he has produced a soil map with local farmers in Spain, researched the history and conservation of lake ecosystems in China and worked with smallholder farmers in South Africa to map the nutrient budget of an estuary. For his PhD thesis he spent 1.5 years in Indonesia, where he measured greenhouse gas emissions from rainforest transformation systems together with a small local research team he managed. Besides expanding his professional knowledge and intercultural skills, he has gained experience in project management, academic writing and lecturing, plot selection and statistics, public relations, and social media.
Josephus speaks Dutch, English, German fluently and has basic knowledge of Afrikaans, French, Indonesian, Mandarin, and Spanish.

Contact

Joostkoks90[at]gmail.com www.linkedin.com/in/joost-koks

Julia von Freeden

Academic Background

M. Sc. Psychology
B. Sc. Psychology

Expertise

Thematical: Psychosocial health, inclusion of people with disabilities, youth participation, gender equality, LGBTI rights, (in-) formal education.

Methodological: Quantitative and qualitative methods of empirical social research, particularly the development and evaluation of psychological testing procedures for diagnostics & attitude measurement.

Overseas Project

African Union: Governance of Migration and Health: Addressing the Health Challenges of Migrants and Refugees in Africa.
Cooperation Partners: African Union and Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ).

Short CV

After completing her A-levels, Julia initially completed a weltwaerts volunteer service placement in Cape Town, South Africa in the field of permacultural school gardens. Subsequently, she was employed by the South African-German Network (SAGE Net e.V.) organization in Berlin. Julia then went on to obtain a degree in psychology (B. Sc.) in Trier, Germany, in which she focused on the support of children and youth with autism spectrum disorders. After successfully completing her Bachelor's degree, she volunteered in Cape Town in an organization catering to the needs of adults with psychiatric disorders. Julia subsequently continued her studies of psychology (M. Sc.) at the Goethe University in Frankfurt am Main, Germany. Her master's thesis was realized in cooperation with GIZ following an internship and assignments as an external consultant for the project Triple Win - Sustainable Recruitment of Nurses. In her thesis she investigated the connection between acculturation and job satisfaction of international nurses in Germany. As an ASA fellow, she went on to investigate the access to social security for people with disabilities in the Moungo region of Cameroon. Before starting her studies at SLE, Julia completed an internship placement at the GIZ Liaison Office to the African Union (AU) in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. She supported the African-German Youth Initiative (AGYI), which promotes the exchange between young people from African countries and Germany. As part of this internship, she was tasked with planning and implementing a process promoting the inclusion of people with disabilities in youth exchange programs. In this context she was able to build on experiences from a weltwaerts group exchange project between South African and German self-advocates with an intellectual disability.
Julia speaks, reads, and writes German, English and French fluently and has basic knowledge in Spanish.

Contact

j.vonfreeden[at]gmail.com www.linkedin.com/in/julia-von-freeden

Kai Klause

Academic Background

M.Sc. Environmental, Economic, and Social Sustainability
B.A. Development Studies

Expertise

Thematical: Adaptation to climate change, sustainable urban development, political ecology, ecological economy, environmental justice, social participation, peace building, rural-urban structural change, value chains, LRRD, public-private partnerships.

Methodological: Qualitative and quantitative methods of empirical social research, project management (PCM / Capacity WORKS; project proposal writing), SPHERE standards, facilitation, SWOT analysis, customer relationship management, business development.

Overseas Project

Benin: The Beninese Poultry Sector in the Face of Western Chicken Meat Imports. Analyzing Trade Issues, Consumer Preferences, and Production Systems to Strengthen the National Sector’s Competitiveness.
Cooperation Partners: Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ).

Short CV

Having spent a voluntary social year with the German Development Service in Mozambique, Kai studied International Development at the University of Vienna. His stay on the Danube was interrupted by a one-year study of Politics at the Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul in Brazil, in the course of which Kai wrote his bachelor thesis on participatory urban politics and the social protest movement from 2013 in Porto Alegre. There he subsequently worked in NGOs on democracy promotion, strengthening civil society and regional development as a campaign manager and project coordinator. Kai completed his master's degree in Environmental, Economic and Social Sustainability with a focus on Political Ecology at the Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, while working as an affiliate researcher on urban environmental justice. His master thesis on socio-political barriers to transformative urban climate adaptation was published in the scientific journal Cities by Elsevier. Still in the hub of Catalonia, Kai embarked on a career path in the private sector, working as a software specialist in the business development sector and as a key sales account manager. Before starting SLE in 2020, he completed professional training as a project coordinator in development cooperation at the Gesellschaft für Nachhaltige Entwicklung in Witzenhausen.
Thanks to a variety of study and work positions, he is fluent in German, English, Portuguese, Spanish and French.

Contact

kai.klause[at]yahoo.de www.linkedin.com/in/kai-alexander-klause

Lara Sander

Academic Background

M.Sc. Geography of Global Change
B.A. Social and Cultural Anthropology, Geography

Expertise

Thematical: Food Systems, Food Security and Nutrition (FSN), Food Sovereignty, Right to Food, Seed Systems, diversification of agrobiodiversity and local economies within smallholder and indigenous communities, urban agriculture, school feeding and home grown school meal approach, school gardening and nutrition education.

Methodological: (Digital and participatory) Empirical-qualitative research methods, Mixed Methods, Co-Research Approach, quantitative household survey, Customer Relationship Management Tools (u.a. Sales Force), stakeholder analysis, project coordination, (digital) workshops.

Overseas Project

South Africa: Covid-19 Lockdown and the Impact on Local Food Systems: Food Security and Nutrition in Marginalised Communities – A Food Justice Perspective from the Cape Flats and St. Helena Bay.
Cooperation Partners: Cape Town Urban Research Farmer Club; Weskus Mantije; Associate Professor Dr. Jane Battersby, African Centre for Cities, UCT; Heinrich Böll Foundation, Cape Town; Solidaridad Southern Africa; Institute for Critical Food Studies, UWC; INKOTA-netzwerk e.V.; Brot für die Welt.

Short CV

Lara studied Social and Cultural Anthropology and Geography (B.A.) and Geography of Global Change (M. Sc.) at the Albert-Ludwigs-University of Freiburg. In her bachelor thesis she conducted empirical-qualitative field research to investigate different models and systems of urban agriculture in Mexico City. During her master thesis she spent three months in Cauca, Colombia, researching strategies for the conservation of traditional seeds and strengthening local economies in small-scale farming and indigenous communities. As an intern at GIZ in Malawi in the "Nutrition and Access to primary Education" project, she was responsible for the quality assurance for the project component “school gardens”, which played an important role in nutrition education and diversification of nutrition within the school feeding program. Lara gained further work experience in the Sarah Wiener Foundation and the social enterprise Ackerdemia e.V., where she was responsible for the coordination and implementation of educational programs on nutrition education in selected federal states, as well as for the supervision of project partners and the development of strategies for project implementation. Following her passion for good and socially just foods, she is interested in topics related to food and nutrition in rural and urban areas. Her regional focus is on Africa (Malawi, South Africa) and Latin America (Mexico, Colombia).
Besides German, Lara speaks fluent English and Spanish.

Contact

lara.sander[at]posteo.de www.linkedin.com/in/lara-sander

Maximilian Graser

Academic Background

M. Sc. Integrated Natural Resource Management (INRM)
B. Sc. Geography

Expertise

Thematical: Value Chains, Rural Development, Land Use and Management, Natural Resource Management, Sustainable Agriculture, Peace and Conflict Research.

Methodological: Qualitative Survey Methodology, Institutional Stakeholder Analysis, Academic Writing, Conception of Research Studies, Operationalisation, Moderation, Certified Consultant for Biodiversity Criteria in Tropical Agriculture (GIZ, 2019).

Overseas Project

Benin:The Beninese Poultry Sector in the Face of Western Chicken Meat Imports. Analysing Trade Issues, Consumer Preferences, and Production Systems to Strengthen the National Sector’s Competitiveness.
Cooperation Partners: Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ).

Short CV

Maximilian studied Geography (B.Sc.) at Eberhard Karls Universität Tübingen and at the University of Tartu in Estonia. For his bachelor thesis on the Ecuadorian renewable energy sector, he conducted qualitative research in Quito. He completed his master program in Integrated Natural Resource Management (M.Sc.) at Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, focusing on land use and climate change, methods of modeling sustainability, and geographical development research. Out of an ongoing interest in resource conflicts in the Global South, he conducted research on peacebuilding and rural development in the post-conflict context in Colombia as part of his master's thesis and with a scholarship from the fiat panis Foundation. Maximilian has work experience as an intern with NGOs such as Fundación Ambiente y Sociedad (FAS) in Ecuador or the Estonian Fund for Nature (ELF) as well as with GIZ in Costa Rica within the project Business and Biodiversity on sustainable food value chains for pineapples and bananas. Here he supported the development of a monitoring instrument and provided advice and collected data at plantation level. Prior to his SLE studies, he published with the Leibniz Centre for Agricultural Landscape Research (ZALF) on peace and conflict research and land use change. His regional focus is on Latin America and West Africa.
Besides his mother tongue (German), Maximilian is fluent in English, Spanish, and French and has basic knowledge of Estonian.

Contact

maxgraser[at]yahoo.de www.linkedin.com/in/maximilian-graser

Esther Minguemadje Marner

Academic Background

M. Sc. Agricultural Economics
B. Sc. Economics & Governance

Expertise

Thematical: Rural development, agricultural and environmental development policies, global agricultural trade structures and issues, poverty reduction, food sovereignty, cash crops, animal and plant production systems, agroecology, agroforestry.

Methodological: Quantitative and qualitative methods for market and policy analysis, sustainable project management, participatory approaches for field research, workshops and decision making processes.

Overseas Project

Benin:The Beninese Poultry Sector in the Face of Western Chicken Meat Imports. Analysing Trade Issues, Consumer Preferences, and Production Systems to Strengthen the National Sector’s Competitiveness.
Cooperation Partners: Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ).

Short CV

After an early study program on the topics of development at the University of Duisburg-Essen, Mingue decided to study economics and governance at Wageningen University. She focused on the agricultural and environmental sector and specialized on European and international agricultural trade policies. After successful completion of her Bachelor studies, she worked in numerous agroforestries in Brazil. She learned about the principle of closed cycles to regenerate degraded ecosystems, but also about practical field work. Back in Germany, she started the study of agricultural economics at the Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin. Here she deepened her knowledge in agricultural market analysis which allows her to put the potential for small-scale farmers in global agricultural markets into a bigger context. For her master thesis, she was looking at agricultural development in Chad and the potential linkage between cotton production as a cash crop and poverty reduction. More than the what, Mingue is interested in how. She views the Empowerment of concerned people as key for sustainable development. During her studies she was engaged in an internship in cooperation with Engagement Global to fight desertification in rural Morocco. She worked for a grassroots organization, facilitating the successful implementation of local knowledge to build an oasis. Mingue enjoys working in international and transdisciplinary teams.
She is fluent in German, French, English and Dutch and has a basic level of Portuguese.

Contact

esther.marner[at]yahoo.de

Moritz Reigl

Academic Background

M.Sc. Integrated Natural Resource Management
B.A. Area Studies Asia/Africa

Expertise

Thematical: Agricultural innovation systems, cooperatives and smallholder sustainable agriculture, food systems and food security, game theory applied to human interactions and cooperation, project management applied to natural resource based development programs, migration and displacement, eurocentrism and postcolonialism.

Methodological: Qualitative data analysis of empirical social research, binary logistic regression, value chain analysis, analysis of socio-ecological systems, institutional analysis.

Overseas Project

South Africa: Covid-19 Lockdown and the Impact on Local Food Systems: Food Security and Nutrition in Marginalised Communities – A Food Justice Perspective from the Cape Flats and St. Helena Bay.
Cooperation Partners: Cape Town Urban Research Farmer Club; Weskus Mantije; Associate Professor Dr. Jane Battersby, African Centre for Cities, UCT; Heinrich Böll Foundation, Cape Town; Solidaridad Southern Africa; Institute for Critical Food Studies, UWC; INKOTA-netzwerk e.V.; Brot für die Welt.

Short CV

Moritz studied ‘Area Studies Asia/Africa’ in Berlin, Germany, where he also completed a master program in ‘Integrated Natural Resource Management’. His thematic focus is on the interface between the social and the environmental sphere. Thereby, he is dedicated to project management applied to natural resource-based development programs, agricultural innovation systems, agricultural cooperatives as well as sustainable small-holder agriculture. A constant companion in his academic career is a sociological lens critically reflecting on issues such as uneven power structures and structural inequalities. During his bachelor program he worked for a voluntary organization Multitude e.V. as a German teacher for refugees. The work provided special insights to gather qualitative data on lived out experiences by refugees within Berlin’s biggest detention center which was further analyzed in his bachelor thesis. In his master program, he worked as an intern for GIZ in Malawi for half a year. Here, he researched on the capacity of local producer organizations to take up agricultural innovations. While researching, not only his professional knowledge and intercultural skills were strengthened but Moritz also gained experience in project management, in computer-based programs like geographic information systems and in moderation and workshop facilitation.
Moritz is fluent in German and English and has basic knowledge of French and Kiswahili.

Contact

Moritz_Reigl[at]web.de www.linkedin.com/in/moritz-reigl

Paul Schütze

Academic Background

M. Sc. Development Economics
B. Sc. Business Administration & Economics

Expertise

Thematical: Financial Cooperation, Rural Development, Agricultural Economics, Participatory Decision Processes, Public Private Partnerships, Poverty & Inequality Reduction.

Methodological: Quantitative & qualitative Methods of Empirical Research, Multivariate Analysis, Strategy & Planning for Development Cooperation, Value Chain Analysis, Geoinformation Systems.

Overseas Project

African Union: Governance of Migration and Health: Addressing the Health Challenges of Migrants and Refugees in Africa.
Cooperation Partners: African Union and Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ).

Short CV

Paul began his academic journey at the University of Leipzig with a bachelor’s degree in business administration and economics. Combining his student researcher positions at different chairs of entrepreneurship and finance, with internships at Roche Diagnostics and KPMG, Paul initially focused on the private sector. During his bachelor thesis he analyzed the statistical aspects of the Human Development Index. Following his interest in the quantitative aspects of this field, he obtained his master's degree in development economics with a focus on agricultural economics at the Universities of Göttingen and Bogor (Indonesia). He completed internships at KfW Entwicklungsbank in Belgrade and Frankfurt/M on the topics of infrastructure development, economic promotion, and financial cooperation with other donor institutions. In an internship at the Connex Support Unit of GIZ, which places mining experts in partner countries, he developed tools for budget monitoring and prepared the expansion of the project into the infrastructure sector and Latin America. During his postgraduate studies he continuously pursued the topics of financial and private sector mobilization for development efforts, and participatory decision processes. These processes were also the topic of his thesis in which he contributed to the development, implementation, and evaluation of a participatory decision process for the municipal development of rural communities. Aside from his core technical knowledge, Paul is continuously looking for opportunities to further expand his skills in academic writing and lecturing, project management, moderation, and is chasing his father’s marathon records.
Paul is fluent in German and English, speaks Spanish, and has basic knowledge of French.

Contact

www.linkedin.com/in/paul-schuetze/

Richard Neetzow

Academic Background

M. Sc. Economics and Management
B. Sc. Business Administration

Expertise

Thematical: Innovation processes, event and project management, political representation of interests, trade policy, organisational structures.

Methodological: Data-based forecasts, econometric calculations, multivariate statistics, causal analysis.

Overseas Project

African Union: Governance of Migration and Health: Addressing the Health Challenges of Migrants and Refugees in Africa.
Cooperation Partners: African Union and Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ).

Short CV

Richard studied business administration in Berlin and Sydney with a focus on impact research and organizational structures. Afterwards, he completed his master studies in Berlin and Lima, with a focus on data-based work and innovation management. During his studies he worked among others in the German Bundestag (German Federal Parliament) and within the political lobby. Furthermore, he was involved in the sustainability office of the Humboldt-Universität and in an educational project with children in Lima and in an association for refugees in Serbia. In his master's thesis he examined the effects of trade policy restrictions in Cameroon on sustainable nutrition. Besides SLE, he is improving his programming skills with independent projects in data mining and data-based forecasting. He also enjoys event organization, practicing various sports and playing the trumpet.
He speaks German, English, Spanish and un peu petit French.

Contact

neetzowr[at]outlook.com www.linkedin.com/in/richard-neetzow

Sabrina Stoffel

Academic Background

Master and Bachelor (Sc.) in Environmental Science

Expertise

Thematical: Climate Relevance and Resource Efficiency of Farming Systems, Food Security, Resource Management, Soil Ecology, Sustainability Management.

Methodological: Quantitative Methods of Ecological and Socio-Economic Research, Participatory On-Farm Research, Livelihood Analysis, Administration and Counseling.

Overseas Project

Benin: The Beninese Poultry Sector in the face of Western Chicken Imports. Analysing Trade Issues, Consumers Preferences, and Production Systems to Strengthen the National Sector’s Competitiveness.
Cooperation Partners: Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ).

Short CV

Sabrina is an environmental scientist and holds a bachelor's degree from the Leuphana University of Lüneburg. She then completed her master's degree in the same field in Giessen and València (Spain). During numerous stays abroad and field research she gained experience in quantitative data collection and analysis in Kenya at the International Centre of Insect Physiology and Ecology (ICIPE), in association with the Research Institute of Organic Agriculture (FiBl). As part of the ASA Engagement Global Program, Sabrina spent time in India at the Centre for Tribals and Rural Development Trust (CTRD), working on a project proposal for an organic tea factory. She also enhanced her skill set by conducting a household survey on the use of biogas plants among indigenous communities. Apart from this, in her master's thesis she investigated the adaptation behavior of Kenyan smallholders to novel agricultural technologies using socio-economic, quantitative data collection methods. On a voluntary basis, she was involved for several years into the DAAD supported internship exchange organization IAESTE and acted as the organizational contact person for the academic stay of international students at Sabrina's home university. Sabrina is looking for challenges to dive further into the scientific method, coordinate projects and improve her moderation and presentation skills. In conclusion, Sabrina is highly motivated to contribute to the development of the sector of international cooperation.
Sabrina is a native German speaker, likewise she is business fluent in English and fluent in Spanish and French.

Contact

www.linkedin.com/in/sabrina-stoffel

Vincent Reich

Academic Background

M.Sc. Public Policy & Governance
B.A. Political Science

Expertise

Thematical: Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) in Areas of Limited Statehood, Resource Governance in the Extractive Sector, Good Governance, Participatory Development.

Methodological: Cooperation Methods, Digital Research Methods, Sustainability Standards and Supply Chains, Public Relations.

Overseas Project

South Africa: Covid-19 Lockdown and the Impact on Local Food Systems: Food Security and Nutrition (FSN) in South Africa’s Marginalised Communities – A Food Justice Perspective from the Cape Flats and St. Helena Bay.
Cooperation Partners: Cape Town Urban Research Farmer Club; Weskus Mantije; Associate Professor Dr. Jane Battersby, African Centre for Cities, UCT; Heinrich Böll Stiftung, Cape Town; Solidaridad Southern Africa; Institute for Critical Food Studies, UWC; INKOTA-netzwerk e.V.; Brot für die Welt.

Short CV

Vincent studied Political Science (B.A.) in Jena, Germany and followed up with a Master’s in Public Policy and Governance (M.Sc.) at the University of Amsterdam. During his master’s thesis, he focused on Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and Resource Governance in the extractive sector regarding areas of limited statehood. The subject of his master thesis was Corporate Social Responsibility and Governance in the extractive sector of the Niger Delta of Nigeria. Vincent has experience working abroad during an internship in his home country of Nigeria. There, he supported Oxfam in Nigeria’s Good Governance Team and gained experience in participatory development cooperation approaches and in governance cooperation between public sector, private sector, and non-governmental organizations. He has also worked at the GIZ in Bonn, on the topic of cooperation in Multi-Stakeholder Partnerships. Vincent also has experience in Public Relations.
Vincent speaks English, German, and French fluently.

Contact

vincent.reich94[at]gmail.com

Wendy König

Academic Background

M.A. Democratic Governance and Civil Society
B.A. Cultural Studies / Spanish Philology

Expertise

Gender, conflict transformation & peacebuilding, securitization, democratization, migration, education for sustainable development, democracy building, training, facilitation.

Overseas Project

African Union: Governance of Migration and Health: Addressing the Health Challenges of Migrants and Refugees in Africa.
Cooperation Partners: African Union and Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ).

Short CV

Wendy gained her first experience abroad during a one-year high school student exchange in Brazil. Afterwards, she became a trainer for Youth for Understanding e.V. - an association for intercultural and political education - and has since been able to gain more than 10 years of experience in the field of international youth and adult education. During her bachelor's, she studied Cultural Studies and Spanish Philology (B.A.) with a focus on Gender Studies, Latin American Studies, and (Post)Colonialism. During that time, she spent semesters abroad in Spain and Brazil. She also completed internships at the German Embassy in Brasilia and at the Mexican UNESCO National Commission in Mexico City. In her internationally oriented master's degree in “Democratic Governance and Civil Society” (M.A.) she focused on peace and conflict studies, postcolonial theories, and democracy promotion. As a research assistant at the department of peace and conflict research at the University of Osnabrück she was able to expand her expertise in this very field. In her master thesis she examined the "Securitization" of German development policy. Prior to the SLE postgraduate program, Wendy worked as an education officer at the August Bebel Institute in Berlin. She was responsible for the conception, organization, and moderation of political education events (e.g. workshops, dialogue forums, panel discussions) and project management. Her main focus was on gender, anti-discrimination/empowerment and democracy education.
Wendy is fluent in German, English, Spanish, and Portuguese, and she has basic knowledge of French.

Contact

www.linkedin.com/in/wendykoenigin

Yury Snigirev

Academic Background

M.A. Social and Cultural Anthropology
Dipl. Modern and Contemporary History

Expertise

Migration and Forced Displacement, Refugee Protection, Humanitarian Assistance, Gender, State, Fragile Contexts, Ethnic Conflicts, Indigeneity.

Overseas Project

African Union: Governance of Migration and Health: Addressing the Health Challenges of Migrants and Refugees in Africa.
Cooperation Partners: African Union and Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ).

Short CV

Yury studied modern and contemporary history in Kirov, Russia, as well as social and cultural anthropology in Munich, Germany. During his study of history, he focused on colonialism and postcolonialism, Asian and African countries during the Cold War and nationalities policy and ethnic conflicts in the USSR/CIS states in the late Soviet and post-Soviet periods. The subject of his master’s thesis was structural change in Western Siberia and the Polar Urals. As part of field research he conducted there, he analyzed the relationship between the state and indigenous people in the context of the extraction of fossil resources. Furthermore, Yury has expert knowledge and several years of work experience in the field of forced displacement and migration. At the counselling center of Sub e.V. Munich, he counselled asylum seekers and refugees regarding asylum procedures and psycho-social issues. There he established the division of refugee counselling, developing and implementing a concept for counselling and accompanying particularly vulnerable refugees. Through these tasks he gained leadership and project management experience. His regional focus is on the post-Soviet region, South Asia and Eastern Africa.
Yury is native speaker of Russian, speaks fluent German and English, has a working knowledge of Khanty and is currently learning French.

Contact

yury.snigirev[at]gmail.com