I work on War, Peace, Diplomacy, and Security in International Relations,
with a regional focus on Europe and the Middle East.
Central to my research interests is the question of how societies can move on from war and conflict toward reconciliation and sustainable peace.
I explore three main themes:
Legacies of War: I examine the impact that war trauma leaves on societies, on people’s political attitudes, their national attachments, and their visions of the future and peace. The cases I study include Ukraine, Syria, and the Palestinian Territories.
Memory: I analyze how countries and societies remember difficult historical legacies, and how such memories affect foreign policies. Cases I study include the memory of the Holocaust, and the resulting diplomatic relations between Germany, Austria and Israel.
Atonement: I investigate atonement as a state practice through which political representatives issue official apologies and reparation payments to the victims of mass atrocities, war crimes, and human rights abuses.
All themes – legacies of war, memory, and atonement – are crucial for post-war reconciliation, and the sustainability of peace in the long run.
From my position as a researcher, I also advise governments and NGOs working across Europe and the Middle East on issues concerning peace negotiations and diplomacy, post-conflict reconciliation, truth and justice commissions, and the public commemoration of historical legacies. I regularly comment on European and Middle Eastern politics in newspapers and media.
I am based in Austria.
CV
Employment
I am a Political Scientist at the University of Salzburg’s Centre for European Union Studies (SCEUS).
Previously, I was the IKEA Foundation Research Fellow in International Relations at the University of Oxford.
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Before entering academia, I worked in the Foreign Office, the EU, and NGOs in Brussels, Vienna, Washington D.C., and Ramallah.
Education
Ph.D. in International Relations from the University of Oxford’s Department of Politics and International Relations (DPIR).
M.A. in International Relations and Conflict Management from Johns Hopkins University’s School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS).
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Mag. Phil. in Political Science from the University of Salzburg.
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