The IPLI Foundation and the Hertie School Centre for International Security will fund three student research assistants for Applied Research Projects on international security topics, thereby supporting the student’s MA thesis research. The three student research assistants will work on projects which are open in terms of method, but should focus on the following topics:
Project 1 (Cyber Warfare or Social Media and Political Violence): This project will be supervised by Prof. Dr. Anita Gohdes. Prof. Dr. Gohdes is open to a broad range of topics related to cyber warfare, as well as issues related to social media and political violence. This includes the role of social media in contentious politics (protest, rebellion, other forms of unrest), the determinants and/or effects of censorship and/or digital surveillance in autocracies, and comparative analyses of offensive cyber operations.
Project 2 (one of two options):
2a – Nuclear Security: Prof. Dr. Julian Wucherpfennig will supervise one project on this topic or topic 2b. The project could explore nuclear assurance, deterrence, escalation, or arms control in the emerging new or ‘third’ nuclear age. A focus on Europe as a whole or a particular European state would fit particularly well but is not necessary.
2b – States and Non-State Actors: Prof. Dr. Julian Wucherpfennig will supervise one project on this topic or topic 2a. This project would investigate a contemporary challenge in international security involving non-state actors. The project can explore the role of non-state actors at various levels or in various different contexts, as long as the emphasis is on international security. Of particular interest are projects addressing the role of ethnic groups in conflict (power sharing, irredentism, etc.), as well as the migration-security nexus (refugees–terrorism, migrant deaths in the Central Mediterranean, etc.).
Project 3 (Intra-State Conflict and Foreign Policy): This project will be supervised by Prof. Dr. Shubha Prasad. Prof. Dr. Prasad is open to a broad range of topics that explore the intersection between intra-state conflicts and foreign policy. A focus on the Global South would be beneficial but is not necessary.
Each student research assistant will be given approximately two months in the spring semester to conduct their research with the Centre for International Security. During this time, the student assistants will be employed to work on the project for 10 hours/week at a rate of 15€/hr. Once selected, each student assistant will meet with their project supervisor to discuss their idea in more detail. All three student research assistants will then participate in a brainstorming workshop led by the IPLI to draw up a hypothetical budget for their project.
Research will be conducted throughout the project period alongside regular check-ins with project supervisors. It is required that the Applied Research Projects are tied in with the topic of the student’s MA thesis and that their project supervisor is also their thesis supervisor.
In late spring 2024, the Centre for International Security will host a public research colloquium at the Hertie School where the three student research assistants will present their work for discussion.
At the end of the research period, the student research assistants will submit a short final briefing on their research. In collaboration with the Centre for International Security, student research assistants will also have the opportunity to share and promote their research findings using the Centre for International Security’s communication channels.
- 2nd year Master students at the Hertie School