Team

Editors-in-Chief

Nadia El Ghali, M.A.

Nadia is co-editor in chief of the YJEA and responsible for processing submissions to the YJEA blog. She graduated in 2025 with a master’s degree in political science with a focus on International Relations and Democracy from Ludwig-Maximilians University in Munich and spent a semester abroad at the University of Copenhagen. Nadia’s research interests broadly lie in global governance with a focus on global digital governance. Nadia is currently a researcher at the Chair for Global Governance in Munich.
 
nadia.elghali[at]yjea.org
 

Lilia Gwaltney

Lilia is co-editor in chief of the Young Journal of European Affairs. She is responsible for managing the journal’s outreach and university network. Currently, she is in her final year pursing a BA in Philosophy, Politics, and Economics at Central European University in Vienna, Austria. In 2024, she spent a year abroad at Bocconi University in Milan, Italy concentrating on Economics and Politics, focusing on economic policy and fiscal macroeconomics.

Research Interests: Economic policy, economic statecraft, defense economics, developmental economics, and European economic integration

lilia.gwaltney[at]yjea.org

LinkedIn

Managing Editors

Mercedes Vergara, M.A., M.Sc.

Mercedes is the managing editor at the Young Journal of European Affairs. She graduated with distinction from the dual MA/MSc program in International and World History at Columbia University and the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) in 2025. She previously graduated with First Class honors from LSE with a BSc in International Relations and History in 2023. She has a background working in student publishing, event organization, and as research assistant to LSE professors. Her research on global Cold War history has been supported by the Lyndon B. Johnson Foundation and Columbia University’s Graduate School of Arts and Sciences.

Research Interests: Foreign policy, North-South diplomacy, Cold War history, Critical theory, Cultural studies.

mercedes.vergara[at]yjea.org

LinkedIn

Editorial Board

Valentin Berov, B.A.

Valentin is a member of the editorial board of the Young Journal of European Affairs. He is currently pursuing his master’s degree in social sciences at Humboldt University Berlin and is spending a semester abroad studying political science at Uppsala University. Prior to this, he completed his bachelor’s degree in social sciences at Humboldt University Berlin, writing his thesis on migrant voting behaviour. His main area of research is intersectionality, particularly in relation to migration and integration processes, as well as political behaviour, and quantitative statistical methods. He is currently working on topics related to the perception of climate change at the Free University Berlin and political inequality at the University of Konstanz.

Research Interests: Political behavior, Political psychology, Coalition formation, Migration and integration, Social inequality

valentin.berov[at]yjea.org

Amy Bland, M.A.

Amy is a member of the YJEA’s editorial board. She is a doctoral student at the Graduate School of Social and Behavioural Sciences at the University of Konstanz, Germany. In 2024, she obtained her master’s degree in Politics and Public Administration also 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.

Research Interests: Public health, Refugee rights, Child protection, Mental health interventions

amy.bland[at]yjea.org

LinkedIn

Lennart Eckle, M.A.

Lennart is a member of the editorial board of the Young Journal of European Affairs. He currently works as a Consultant for Collective Bargaining Policy and Labor Relations at the German Economic Institute (IW). In 2024, he obtained his master’s degree in Political Science from the University of Cologne, where he also completed his bachelor’s degree in Social Sciences. He specialized in quantitative methods and survey methodology in European politics and political economy. His research interests focus on collective bargaining institutions and public opinion on social policy.

Research Interests: Survey methodology, Social policy, Collective bargaining, Industrial relations

lennart.eckle[at]yjea.org

LinkedIn

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.

Research Interests: Sino-European relations, Security and Defense Studies, Political communication, Chinese foreign policy

maximilian.foerstel[at]yjea.org

LinkedIn

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.

Research Interests: Geopolitics, International security, Hybrid warfare, European integration, Franco-German relations

julia.gruber[at]yjea.org

Eleonora Guseletova, B.A.

Eleonora is a member of the YJEA editorial board. She is a current MSc student in Economics and Government in a dual degree programme between Sciences Po Paris and Bocconi University in Milan. Before her MSc, she completed her BA in Economics at Sciences Po and spent an exchange year at Keio University in Tokyo. Her interests are centred around EU public economics, quantitative policy research and behavioral economics. She has worked as a research assistant and as an intern in European affairs at the state-level in Germany. Particularly interested in how vertical policy implementation is realised on the micro-level in Europe, she is writing her master’s thesis about the economic effects of the energy transition on political behavior in East Germany.

eleonora.guseletova[at]yjea.org

LinkedIn

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.

Research Interests: International political economy, Game theory, Diplomacy, Global governance, Security studies

kayla.howardtripp[at]yjea.org

 

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.

Research Interests: Democracy promotion, Conflict and crisis management, State-building, European integration

mara.nelegatti[at]yjea.org

LinkedIn

 

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.

Research Interests: European foreign and security policy, Defense economics, Climate-security nexus, Middle Eastern politics

paula.schaefer[at]yjea.org

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.

Research Interests: Conflict resolution, International trade, Financial regulation, Middle East and North Africa, US-EU relations, EU foreign policy

noa.schmid[at]yjea.org

Project Management

Vivien Kos

Vivien is a member of the Project Management team at the Young Journal of European Affairs (YJEA). She is in her final year at the London School of Economics (LSE), studying BSc Psychological and Behavioural Sciences, and plans to pursue a Master of Public Policy in the upcoming year. She is interested in education and technology policy, their intersection and the political dynamics surrounding them. At LSE, Vivien has been involved in mental health research, educational research, and several societies, including Hungarian, European, and Behavioural and Psychological.

vivien.kos[at]yjea.org

LinkedIn

 

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.

patrik.nadrai[at]yjea.org

Social Media

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.

anna.hercher[at]yjea.org

LinkedIn

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.

mona.nothacker[at]yjea.org

LinkedIn

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.

anna.pfluegler[at]yjea.org

LinkedIn

Duru Yavuz

Duru is a member 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.

duru.yavuz[at]yjea.org

Founders

Lara Breitmoser, M.A.

Lara Breitmoser is the co-founder and former co-editor of the YJEA. She holds a master’s in International Relations from Central European University (2023) and a BA in Political Science from LMU Munich, with a study abroad in Australia. Her research focuses on international cooperation and climate policy, with publications in Duodecim Astra and RETA, and presentations at DVPW and ECPR conferences. She has worked in sustainability and public sector consulting, and currently she works at WWF Austria.

LinkedIn

Florian Lenner, M.Sc., M.Sc.

Florian Lenner is the co-founder and former co-editor of the Young Journal of European Affairs (YJEA). He holds a degree in Political Science (B.A.) from Ludwig-Maximilians-University in Munich, graduated with a master’s degree in International Relations from the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) in 2022 and recently with a second master’s degree in War and Peace Studies from Leiden University. His research interests include Conflict and Peacebuilding, Forced Displacement, International Security and International Organisations. He has co-authored a comparative study on Conflicts of Interest in the EU Member States for the European Parliament, followed by a book published with Peter Lang and two journal articles in Public Management Review and Public Integrity. Currently, he is working as an Accredited Parliamentary Assistant in the European Parliament.

LinkedIn

Former Management

Angelo Gerber-Helm (née Krüger), M.A.

Managing Editor and Editorial Board Member from 2021-2024

Angelo is a former Managing Editor and  member of the editorial board of the Young Journal of European Affairs, where he contributes to the journal’s work on European political economy and public policy. He recently completed his master’s degree in International Relations at Central European University (CEU) and continues his academic education as a PhD student at the Geneva Graduate Institute. Before joining the YJEA, Angelo conducted a research visit at the Anderson School of Management at the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) and completed his BA in History, Politics, and Sociology at the University of Potsdam. His research interests lie in the international political economy and global governance of development finance and investment, the European Union, and Chinese global finance.

LinkedIn

Mirjam Seiler, M.Sc.

Managing Editor and Member of Editorial Board from 2021-2025

Mirjam is a former managing editor at the Young Journal of European Affairs. She currently works on financial stability at the Bank of England and previously worked on security policy for the Swiss Ministry of Foreign Affairs. She holds a master’s degree in International Relations from the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE) and completed her bachelor’s degree in History and International Relations at King’s College London. Her research interests include European security policy, the rise of nationalism and Euroscepticism, and the interplay between global markets and geopolitics. Having always had a passion for journalism and political debate, she has been the editor for European Affairs at the student-led King’s Think Tank and is an alumni of the European Youth Parliament (EYP).

YJEA Alumni

Myriam Aichinger, M.A.

Project Management from 2022-2023

Myriam Aichinger supported the YJEA as a Project Manager from early 2022 until December 2023. She holds a B.A. in Communication Studies and Political Science from the University of Munich and is currently finishing her M.A. in Political Science. She currently works for PwC in Munich.

Benjamin Brown, M.Sc.

Editorial Board from 2020-2023

Benjamin Brown supported the YJEA as a member of the Editorial Board from June 2020 until December 2023. He holds a B.A. in Political Science and History from the University of Munich, an M.Sc. in Modern Middle Eastern Studies from the University of Oxford and an M.A. in Broadcast Journalism from the City University of London. He currently works for CNN in London.

Lili Gabadadze, B.A.

Social Media Team from 2023-2024

Lili Gabadadze joined the YJEA in 2023 and supported our Social Media team until late 2024. She is pursuing her master’s degree in European Studies at the University of Regensburg.

Raghda Jaja, B.A.

Social Media from 2023-2024

Raghda Jaja was part of the YJEA’s Social Media from 2023 until early 2024. She holds a B.A. in Communication Studies from Al Akhawayn University and is currently in the final year of her master’s studies at the University of Padova.

Sophia Khan

Social Media Team from 2023-2024

Sophia Khan joined the YJEA in 2023 and supported our Social Media activities until late 2024. She is currently reading International Relations and History at the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE).

Leonie Köhler, B.A.

Project Management Team Lead from 2023-2025

Leonie Köhler joined the YJEA in 2023 and coordinated our Project Management activities until 2025. She is currently in her last year of Peace and Security Studies at the Institute for Peace Research and Security Policy (IFSH) in Hamburg.

 

 

Emilija Krysen

Social Media Team Lead from 2023-2024

Emilija Krysen joined the YJEA in 2023 and coordinated our Social Media activities as team lead until early 2024. She is currently reading International Relations at the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE).

Grace Lundell, M.A.

Project Management Team from 2023-2025

Grace Lundell joined the YJEA in 2023 until January 2025 supporting our Project Management Team. She is currently working full-time as a Research Associate for The Cohen Group in Washington, D.C.

Alina Mehrens

Social Media from 2020-2021

Alina Mehrens managed the YJEA’s Social Media from June 2020 until October 2021. She is currently studying law at Humbold-University in Berlin.

Clara Praschl, B.A.

Social Media from 2021-2023

Clara Praschl was in charge of the YJEA’s Social Media from late 2021 until December 2023. She holds a B.A. in Political Science from the University of Munich and is currently in the final year of her master’s studies at the Graduate Institute in Geneva.

Alexandra Qvist

Project Management Team from 2023-2024

Alexandra Qvist joined the YJEA in 2023 and supported our Project Management team until late 2024. She is currently pursuing her studies in International Relations at the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE).

Jakob Rindermann

Editorial Board from 2020-2023

Jakob Rindermann supported the YJEA as a member of the Editorial Board from June 2020 until December 2023. He is currently in the final stages of his B.A. in Political Science at the University of Munich.

Lara Waas, M.A.

Editorial Board from 2020-2021

Lara Waas supported the YJEA as a member of the Editorial Board from June 2020 until October 2021. She holds a B.A. in Literary Studies and Political Science and a M.A. in Political Science with a major in International Relations from the University of Munich. She currently works as a student coordinator at the University of Munich.

Leonhard Xu, MPhil

Editorial Board from 2021-2024

Leonhard Xu supported the YJEA as a member of the Editorial Board from 2021 until the end of 2024. He holds a B.A. in Political Science and Philosophy from the University of Mannheim and a Master of Philosophy in International Relations from the University of Oxford. He currently works as a Research Fellow at the Oxford China Policy Lab.