About us

Etienne is President of Polis180. He is responsible for the think tank’s legal affairs as well as institutional questions. In this capacity, he keeps an eye on the organisation’s strategic development to help make young voices heard in foreign and European affairs. Etienne is also involved in fundraising.

Etienne holds a Master’s degree in International Relations with a focus on trade policy, for which he studied in Freiburg, Aix-en-Provence, Brussels, Paris and Geneva. He is interested in the intersection of EU trade policy and EU external action, particularly with regards to China and the ASEAN states, as well as the use of narratives in Chinese foreign policy.

Since 2020, Lena (she/her) has been a member of Polis180 and has co-led the program ‘Gender and International Politics’ together with Lara and Linda from 2023 to 2025. Lena is also the president of Polis180. In this role, Lena supports fundraising and is responsible for human resources, knowledge management, organisational development and the more general strategic development of the association.

In March 2023, Lena graduated with a Master’s degree in „Democratic Governance and Civil Society“ at the University of Osnabrück. Currently, she works as research associate at the University of Bielefeld and prepares her doctoral thesis on Feminist Foreign Policy. In her research, Lena focuses on topics in the intersection of Political Theory, International Relations and Gender Studies and is especially interested in feminist International Relations, (feminist) foreign policy and related topics, in feminist and queer theories, as well as in postcolonial feminisms.

As treasurer, Jona is a member of the executive board and additionally responsible for the OpenTTN and international relations. He is particularly interested in technology, economics and security policy. After working as Programme Coordinator at the German Foreign Ministry and a diploma thesis on Quantum Machine Learning, he now works as a Geopolitical and Technological Analyst at a relevant European institution.

Teresa has been active at Polis since December 2022. She first joined through the student-run journal on international relations Polis Reflects. Since July 2023, she has been part of the extended board, responsible for fundraising and social media. What she particularly values about Polis is working together with dedicated people interested in politics and the opportunity to learn new things.

Teresa studied social and political sciences in Berlin. She is currently working in the German Bundestag. Her fields of interest include digital authoritarianism, democracy, as well as international cooperation and competition.

Mara has been a member of Polis180 since October 2022. In July 2024, she was elected to the extended board, where she is jointly responsible for the Community and Programme Coordination department.

Mara studied European Studies (University of Osnabrück) and Educational Science and Psychology (University of Bielefeld) for her Bachelor’s degrees. She is currently enrolled in a Master’s programme at the University of Osnabrück, where she is studying ‘Conflict Studies and Peacebuilding’ and ‘European Governance’. She works for a regional EU information centre.

Jill has been a member of Polis180 since February 2023 and a board member since July 2023. As a member of the extended executive board, she currently supports the area of Community and Programs.

She earned her Bachelor’s degree in Political Science with a minor in Sociology at Heidelberg University. Besides, Jill studied abroad at the Queen’s University in Kingston, Canada during her Bachelor studies. In October 2023, she began her Master’s degree in International Relations in Berlin and Potsdam. She is spending two semesters abroad at Yonsei University in Seoul, South Korea, from March to December 2025.

Julius joined Polis 180 in July 2023 and has been part of the executive board since July 2024. Julius mainly supports the Community and IT ressort. His main goal is to keep and extend a vital and dynamic feeling of togetherness in the Polis-Community and beyond.

Julius holds a Bachelor’s degree in Social Sciences and is studying Political Science in his masters at the FU in Berlin.

Rafael has been involved with Polis180 since 2018 and has served as Program Director for the Digitalization & Cybersecurity program since November 2022. In July 2025, he was elected to the board, where he is responsible for IT as well as Publications & Podcasts. His work focuses on foreign and security policy, freedom of information and transparency, as well as digital sovereignty and digital policy. Rafael aims to make foreign and European policy, often perceived as distant, more accessible to young people and to open up fresh perspectives, while placing particular emphasis on flat hierarchies and inclusive collaboration.

He holds a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science and is currently pursuing a Master’s in European Studies at the European University Viadrina located on the German-Polish border, where his academic interests include international relations, democratic resilience, social transformation, and comparative politics.

Cara has been a Polis member since 2021 and co-led the program Peace & Conflict for two years. Since July 2025 she has been a member of the board and is responsible for social media and public affairs.

She studied Sociology and Politics and currently pursues her Master’s Degree International Relations in Berlin. Cara is interested in foreign and security policy as well as critical security studies. She works the Cluster of Excellence “Contestations of the Liberal Script” (SCRIPTS) at Freie Universität Berlin.

Marvin joined the Polis180 board in July 2024 and represents the areas of social media and public affairs. He holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in politics, economics, society, and German studies (double major) from Ruhr University Bochum and is currently pursuing a Master of Arts degree in political science at the University of Bonn.

Professionally, he works as an assistant to the management and project manager at the Society for Security Policy. Previously, he worked at the Center for Advanced Security, Strategic and Integration Studies (CASSIS), where he dealt with security policy issues. He also gained practical experience through positions at the Press and Information Office of the Federal Government and the Federal Criminal Police Office.

He is particularly interested in political communication and dealing with disinformation.

Merritt has been a member of Polis180 since 2021 and a member of the board since July 2024, where she is responsible for the departments Publications & Podcasts and Fundraising. Her areas of expertise are security, peace and conflict research, with a particular focus on the regions of Eastern Europe, Central and Western Asia.

Merritt works as a research associate at the Leibniz Institute for East and Southeast European Studies (IOS) in Regensburg, where she is preparing her doctoral thesis on the role of non-state armed actors in conflicts and peace processes. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in European Studies from OVGU Magdeburg and a Master’s degree in International Affairs from the Hertie School in Berlin. Merritt collected international experience in Amman, Istanbul and Brussels.

Johanna has been a Polis member since February 2025 and is involved in the Perspective East and (Un)making Democracy programs. She has been on the board since July 2025 and is responsible for the community, events and program management.

She studies Peacebuilding & Conflict Studies at the University of Osnabrück, with a regional focus on the South Caucasus and Central Asia.

Each year, the General Assembly elects a new board. You can bring in your own ideas and proposals, discuss important issues and help realise concrete visions for the association’s future. If you’re interested or have any questions, please reach out to any member of our board or info@polis180.org.

Lara has been a member of Polis180 since 2021 and co-led the “Gender and International Politics” programme from January 2023 to January 2025. Since early 2025, she is part of the board, supporting organisational development as well as community and programme management.

With a Bachelor’s in African Studies and a Master’s in International Relations, Lara has focused on feminist foreign policy, peace and conflict studies, and postcolonial studies, always striving to take an intersectional feminist approach that connects different (multiple) forms of discrimination.

Each year, the General Assembly elects a new board. You can bring in your own ideas and proposals, discuss important issues and help realise concrete visions for the association’s future. If you’re interested or have any questions, please reach out to any member of our board or info@polis180.org.

Stephanie supports the board in the association’s management.

She is the first point of contact for members and non-members.

She started her journey with Polis180 in the migration programme.

Stephanie studied law at Martin Luther University in Halle, with a focus on migration law.
She also supports a young politician in the Berlin city parliament in her constituency.
In her free time, she enjoys photography, concerts and nature.