Editorial Team

Nadia El Ghali, M.A.

Valentin Berov

Valentin is a member of the editorial board of the Young Journal of European Affairs. He is currently in the last semester of his studies in social sciences with a focus on political science at Humboldt University of Berlin. His interests are mainly in intersectionality research with a special focus on migration and integration processes as well as research on voting behavior and government formation processes. In his own work, he mainly specialises in quantitative statistical methods. Due to his interest in empirical and interdisciplinary migration research, he is currently working on the project “Migration and Welfare State” at the Berlin Institute for Empirical Integration and Migration Research.

Amy Bland, B.A.

Amy is a member of the YJEA’s editorial board. She is currently completing her master’s degree in Politics and Public Administration at the University of Konstanz, specialising in both Comparative Politics and Research Methodology. Amy completed her bachelor’s degree at Monash University in Melbourne, Australia, where she specialised in Human Rights. During this time, Amy spent a semester abroad at the University of Tübingen and actively participated in extracurricular opportunities such as courses on Australian Sign Language and volunteering as a country leader for the United Nations Major Group for Children and Youth. Her main research interests focus on conflict and development, particularly focusing on the disproportionate effects of conflict on education and health outcomes of women and children.

Lennart Eckle, B.Sc.

Lennart is a member of the editorial board of the Young Journal of European Affairs. He obtained his bachelor’s degree in Social Sciences from the University of Cologne. Currently, he is in the second year of his master’s degree in Political Science at the same university, where he specializes in quantitative approaches in the fields of European politics and political economy. His thematic interests center on the transformation of welfare states and labor markets, with a focus on public opinion and political attitudes. Besides his academic studies, Lennart is currently involved as a working student at the German Economic Institute, where he is contributing to research on collective bargaining policy. Furthermore, he gained experience as an intern in the field of quantitative market research.

Maximilian Förstel

Maximilian is a member of the Young Journal of European Affairs’ editorial board. He is currently pursuing his Bachelor’s degree in international relations and communications at Erfurt University. Before joining YJEA, Maximilian spent a year abroad in Taiwan to improve his mandarin and gained valuable insights and work experience through internships at the Taiwan Center for Security Studies and Federal Academy for Security Policy. He is mainly interested in the expanding field of security and conflict, as well as the rise and foreign policy of China.

Julia Gruber, B.A.

Julia is an editorial board member of the YJEA. She holds a B.A. in European Studies from Maastricht University and is currently preparing for her M.A. in International Relations. Her main research areas include International Security Studies, Hybrid Warfare and Geopolitics. As Head of External Relations and Communications at the EPIS Think Tank, she builds networks and fosters dialogue on foreign and security policy. Her passion for writing and editing inspired her to join the YJEA team, where she is ambitious to apply her research and writing skills to contribute to a dynamic platform for youth-driven academic discourse.

Kayla Howard-Tripp

Kayla serves as a member of the Young Journal of European Affairs editorial board. She is currently pursuing a BA in International Relations and Politics at Queen’s University Belfast in Northern Ireland. Her primary interests include global governance, focusing on the European Union’s relationships with major powers such as China and the United States, the intersection of politics and economic outcomes within these dynamics, and defence policy in the context of global power structures. Originally from England, Kayla is actively involved in Model United Nations, enjoys consuming literature, and has a passion for learning languages to enhance her global perspective.

Mara Nelegatti

Mara is a member of the Editorial Board of the Young Journal of European Affairs. Currently, she is studying to obtain her Bachelor’s degree in Political and Social Studies at Julius-Maximilians-Universität Würzburg, concentrating on International Relations and European Studies. In light of her work as a student assistant at the Chair of International Relations at JMU Würzburg, her principal interests lie in global governance perspectives on international organisations. Her research is focused on international cooperation regarding the European Union and the United Nations with a thematic focus on conflict and crisis management.

Paula Schäfer, M.A.

Paula Schäfer is a member of the Editorial Board of the YJEA. She is a dual-degree master’s student in International Affairs at Sciences Po Paris and the London School of Economics, focusing on security politics and international political economy. Paula is passionate about fostering inclusive policy discussions and contributing to academic and public discourse on European affairs.

Noa Schmid, B.A.

Noa is a member of the YJEA’s Editorial Board. She holds a BA in International Relations & Art from Connecticut College and is currently pursuing a Dual Master in International Affairs from Sciences Po Paris and Columbia University. Recently, she interned with the German embassy in Rabat where she got to deepen her research focus on global governance, conflict resolution and trade. She frequently applies quantitative methods, acquired as a research assistant with the Copenhagen Business School. Furthermore, Noa is a Davis Projects for Peace Fellow and a United World College alumna, having graduated from Waterford Kamhlaba in Eswatini.

Patrik Nadrai, B.A.

Patrik is a first-year Master’s student in European Studies at Lund University in Sweden. Previously Patrik completed a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science from Central European University, Vienna. He gained professional experience as an intern in consulting at Milestone Consulting and as a research assistant at Central European University, focusing on China’s growing influence in Europe. His current research interests focus on right-wing cultural hegemony construction in Europe, reflecting his interest in political ideologies and cultural dynamics.

Duru Yavuz

Duru is team-lead of the Social Media team at the Young Journal of European Affairs. She is currently pursuing a dual bachelor’s degree in Political Science and International Relations along with Sociology at Boğaziçi University, Türkiye. Duru has recently completed a semester abroad at Sciences Po Paris, and is starting her fourth year back home at Boğaziçi University. Duru’s main fields of interest include social identity theory in the context of EU accession processes, ‘Third World’ Approaches to International Law, and EU-Türkiye relations.

Anna Hercher, B.A.

Anna is part of the Social Media team at the Young Journal of European Affairs (YJEA). She has successfully finished her Bachelor’s degree in English and Political/Social Studies and is currently pursuing a Master’s degree in Literature, Culture, and Media at Julius-Maximilians-University in Würzburg, Germany. Her research explores the intersections of culture, politics, and language with a focus on modern Popular Culture. Beyond academics, she is passionate about Human Rights and is an active member of the Amnesty International University Group.

Mona Nothacker, B.A.

Mona is a member of the Social Media team at the Young Journal of European Affairs (YJEA). She recently completed her Bachelor’s degree in Political and Social Studies at Julius-Maximilians-University Würzburg (JMU) with a focus on International Relations and is an incoming Master’s student in Peace and Security Studies at the University of Hamburg. During her studies, she spent a semester abroad at Loyola Universidad Andalucía in Spain and worked as a student assistant at JMU’s Chair of International Relations and European Studies. Mona also has practical experience in international cooperation, including internships at the German Federal Foreign Office and the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) in Mexico.

Anna Pflügler, B.Sc.

Anna is a member of the Social Media team at the Young Journal of European Affairs (YJEA). She recently started her master’s degree in International Organizations and Crisis Management at the Friedrich-Schiller University in Jena (FSU) and obtained her bachelor’s degree in Political Science at the Technical University of Munich (TUM). During her Bachelor, Anna spent two semesters abroad at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem and wrote her Bachelor’s thesis on the Palestinian Citizens of Israel. Her research interests include European Migration Policy, the Middle East and foreign policy. During her studies, Anna has worked in the NGO, think tank and academic sector