About me

Social Sciences

My interest in East European languages evolved from a fascination with the social upheavals experienced in the early 1990s in Eastern Bloc countries. In 1994 I graduated in Sociology from the Centre for East European Studies at the University of Bremen, having specialised in the transformation of the party system and trade union special interest groups in Russia. Subsequently I explored the subject in greater depth as part of a research project at the Centre focusing on miners’ strikes in Russia and Ukraine in 1989 and 1991.

Berlin has been my home since 1995. Over a period of several years I worked for institutions associated with trade unions and social policy, concentrating on regional business development and active labour market policy. In addition to evaluating projects I was engaged in specialist research, documentation, and public relations activities. The skills I developed in managing projects and producing academic texts were further enhanced during my time as a member of an academic consultancy team, where I was responsible for editing and proofreading services.