Dr Alina Nychyk has just defended her PhD in Politics at the University of Manchester (where she is also a Teaching Assistant). Alina’s core research interests are EU-Ukraine-Russia relations, foreign policy analysis and Russo-Ukrainian war. Apart of academia, Alina is involved in social activism, and she is currently an elected member of the board of Professional Government of Ukraine.

As part of the Strategic Threat Analysis and Nuclear (Dis-)Order (STAND) project at SWP Berlin, Anna currently researches nuclear and deterrence issues. Previously she worked as a Carlo Schmid Fellow at NATO’s Policy Planning Unit. She holds a Double Master’s degree in International Security and International Relations from Sciences Po Paris and LSE.

Currently pursuing a dual masters degree in European Affairs and Political Economy at Sciences Po Paris and the London School of Economics, Anna’s research interests center around European foreign and security policy. Being passionate about digital policy, Anna is particularly interested in cybersecurity.

After earning a BA in History at the LMU in Munich, Ben Brücher completed a MA at the Department of War Studies at King’s College London. Apart from his studies, he worked as a research assistant at both universities. Currently, he is finishing a second MA at the LMU in Contemporary History. His main academic interest lies in extra-legal necessity concepts in international law.

Bjorn graduated from the Institut Barcelona d’Estudis Internacionals (IBEI) with a Master’s degree in International Security. Furthermore, he worked for IABG in the Department for Defence and Security on projects about strategic foresight for the German armed forces and modern warfare, mainly related to Cyber, Electronic, and Magnetic Activities (CEMA, Russian weapon systems and generally UAVs. Recently Bjorn started working as a research fellow at the Fraunhofer Institute for Technological Trend Analysis. His main interests are emerging technologies concerning future warfare and Energy Security in a post-hydrocarbon economy.

Master student in International Economic Policy at the Julius Maximilians University of Würzburg.

Also, he is Konrad Adenauer Foundation Scholar and Member of the European Democracy Youth Network (EDYN).

Earlier, he obtained Candidate Master of Sports in Sailing and has rank in Chess.

His research works dedicated monetary policy, innovations and sustainability.

Constantin Rack is currently writing a Bachelor thesis at the Institute of Political Science in Tübingen. He focuses on different theoretical approaches to Climate Security in the Arctic and the impact of their practical implementation. Besides, he also has a background in International Law and has been heading a University group on Foreign and Security Policy for the past two years.

Daniel SAKA MBUMBA is a Sanctions Compliance Project Manager currently working at BNP Paribas Investment Banking in Paris. He started his career as a management consultant at BearingPoint in France, then served as a Project Manager in the New York office of BNP Paribas before relocating to the Bank’s Headquarters in Paris. Daniel has participated in professional leadership programs with the German Marshall Fund of the United States and the Atlantic Council. He holds a MS in Statistics and Software engineering and is certified as a Global Sanctions Specialist (ACAMS CGSS) as well as a Project Manager Professional (PMP).

National Security Policy Analyst. Former Researcher in Residence at OSCE Documentation Center in Prague. Former Guest Lecturer at University of Economics in Katowice and Szeged University. Former Senior Research Analyst at London Politica.

Denis Wielert, 23, I’m a Master student in German-French double-degree of political science at Sciences Po Rennes and the University of KU Eichstätt-Ingolstadt.

Emma Cosmao is a Franco-British student, currently completing her Dual MA between Sciences Po Paris and King’s College London. Having focused first on Human Rights and then on International Security, she focuses on the relationship between such apparently different worlds. She is joining the YSC as a fellow with a proposal on energy resilience and transitioning to a cleaner, greener, future. When she is not working, she enjoys an Aperol in the sun, and discovering new cities.

Currently in her final year of BA in History and International Relations at King’s College London, Iris will start in September a MSc in International Relations at the London School of Economics and Political Science. Her research focuses on the instrumentalisation of the memory by the Russian state in the European Union and East Europe. In addition to her studies, she is also the Chief of Staff of the think tank Project for the Study of the 21st century, organising events on various topics such as the future of conflicts.

Jan Hartung is currently studying Politics and Economics at the Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität Münster. He is deeply interested in the Nexus of emerging technologies, (nuclear) deterrence and strategic stability. Therefore, his bachelor thesis discussed new avenues for arms control in this complicated environment.

Jesus Renzullo is a Master’s candidate in Public Policy at the University of Erfurt, Germany, focusing on the geo-economics of the global energy transition, data analysis for the energy sector, and socio-economic development. He holds a bachelor’s degree in international affairs from the Central University of Venezuela and has experience in the think tank and private sector in both the Americas and Europe. His publications focus on energy policy, trade and public finance, and the link between new technologies and governance.

Josef Mayr is a MA student of International Relations in Berlin where he focuses on political matters of Central and Eastern Europe. He holds a Bachelor’s degree in international Relations from the University of Wrocław, Poland. Besides his studies, he is working part-time for the Robert Bosch Stiftung in Berlin, learning Russian and planning a semester abroad in Georgia.

Lana Pedisic is a current M.A. student of Global Security and Strategy at the Brussels School of Governance. She has a BSc in International Business from Rochester Institute of Technology. Previously, she has published on the Belt and Road Initiative for The Defence Horizon Journal. Her focus is on China studies, Belt and Road Initiative, and the European Foreign and Security Policy.

Léa Glasmeyer holds a Bachelor between the University of Freiburg and Sciences Po Aix-en-Provence as well as a Master of Public Policy from the Hertie School, where she specialized in global governance and democracy. During her semester at the Munk School, Léa focused on security issues and ethical policymaking, with a particular interest for the nexus between gender and security. Her professional experience includes the German Embassy in South Africa, various foundations as well as think tank experience at the Jacques Delors Center. She is currently working as a research assistant at the Hertie School on intergroup relations and social norms and is part of the feminist network Netzwerk f and a member of the Diverse Young Leaders team.

Lea Schroth is a student in a French and German double-degree of political science at Sciences Po Rennes and the University of KU Eichstätt-Ingolstadt. Next semester, she will be studying at Sciences Po Aix in the International Affairs Master.

Luisa Kern is currently pursuing a dual MA in International Security at Sciences Po Paris & Columbia University, with a concentration on Human Rights. Over the summer she is interning at SIPRI. Prior work experiences include internships at peacebuilding NGOs and a stint as a program assistant at a foreign policy think tank. Luisa currently volunteers as the Advocates Network coordinator at Our Generation for Inclusive Peace and co-hosts the podcast “Brüsseler Bahnhof” at Polis180.

Maria Simeonova is the programme coordinator for the Wider Europe programme and the Sofia office of the European Council on Foreign Relations. She focuses on Bulgarian foreign policy and the Western Balkans. Maria has previously gained experience from the Bulgarian Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Permanent Representation of the Republic of Bulgaria to the EU, and the European Commission as a Blue Book Trainee at the Directorate-General for International Cooperation and Development. Prior to joining ECFR, she was a civil servant at the Bulgarian Ministry of Finance. Maria holds a BA degree in International Relations from Sofia University and an MA degree in European Studies: Transnational and Global Perspectives from Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Belgium.

Michaela Zeleňanská holds a Master´s in Public Policy and Bachelor´s in International Relations. Her expertise is in peace and security, WPS and Russia and Eastern Europe. She had formerly worked as a programme associate at the Global Network of Women Peacebuilders where she focused on UN Resolution 1325 and peacebuilding projects in Eastern Europe and South Caucasus. Prior to that, she worked on conflict resolution with the Institute for Integrated Transitions. She is currently doing a traineeship at the EUISS in Paris.

Nikola is a Research Analyst at the Centre for Youth and International Studies, a youth-orientated think-tank. He worked for several EU consultancies and served in one of the consultative bodies of the EU. Nikola holds an MSc in Economics and European Integration from the University of Split (Croatia) and completed his Erasmus programme in Politics and Economics at the University of Florence (Italy).

Peer is a student of international security at SciencesPo Paris and works as a research assistant at the Indo-Pacific Observatory of CERI/GIGA where he focuses on the EU’s role in the Indo-Pacific. After graduating this summer, he will join the International Military Staff at NATO Headquarters in Brussels. His previous experiences include, inter alia, working at the Inhouse consultancy of the German Federal Armed Forces, Expertise France, the German Embassy in Washington D.C. and the Konrad Adenauer Foundation India.

Zdeněk Rod is a PhD candidate in International Relations at the Department of Politics and International Relations of West Bohemian University in Pilsen, a research fellow at the Centre for Security Analysis and Prevention in Prague and a researcher and lecturer at the Ambis university in Prague. His PhD thesis focuses on implementing security-development nexus approaches in a post-conflict environment. He is also interested in the People’s Republic of China’s role in world affairs and hybrid warfare. He has studied at universities in Ljubljana, Budapest, and Brussels, and conducted several research visits, for instance, to the NATO CIMIC Centre of Excellence in the Hague. He also worked at the Czech Ministry of Defence.