Get to know our expert jury
Prof. Dr. Patrizia Nanz
Political Scientist
Federal Office for the Safety of Nuclear Waste Disposal (BASE) / Governance Lab (CO: LAB)
“It is truly rewarding to see how different applicants are making meaningful contributions towards a more sustainable and equitable world, and it reinforces my commitment to supporting and promoting sustainable initiatives that have a positive impact on our planet and communities.”
Patrizia Nanz is a political scientist and expert on democracy, citizen participation, and sustainable transformations. Since February 2021, she has been vice president of the Federal Office for the Safety of Nuclear Waste Disposal (BASE) and head of the Collaborative Governance Lab (CO: LAB). Before that, she was the director of the Research Institute for Sustainability (RIFS) and professor of Transformative Sustainability Science at the University of Potsdam. She served as co-chair of the Science Platform Sustainability 2030 was a member of the High-Tech Forum and is the founding director of the “Franco-German Forum for the Future”.
Dr. Shaban Mayanja
Scientific Advisor
GIZ Higher Education for Development, Bonn
“Being a juror during the ISA Interviews made me reflect more on the need to promote synergies between education and development cooperation practice.”
Shaban Mayanja is a policy advisor in the Education Sector Programme in charge of the recently established Servicepoint Higher Education for Development at the GIZ in Bonn. Prior to that, he coordinated the European Universities Alliance Initiative at Paderborn University. He was deployed as a DAAD lecturer at the Obafemi Awolowo University in Nigeria and at the University of Nairobi in Kenya where he was the coordinator of a DAAD-funded regional German Masters Programme. He also lectured at the Universities of Vienna and Bayreuth. He is a certified translator and interpreter and has supervised many postgraduate students. His research interests include Translation Studies, Intercultural German Studies, and African Literature. He obtained his Ph.D. in Intercultural German Studies with a focus on translation at the Leibniz University Hanover.
Felix Meyerhoff
Scientific Advisor
Office of the German Council for Sustainable Development (Rat für Nachhaltige Entwicklung, RNE), c/o GIZ GmbH
“I enjoyed being part of the ISA jury. In particular, the inspiring exchange with many highly motivated SDG pioneers is always highly enriching. As a jury, we gained insights into the most diverse projects and are pleased to be able to follow their further development made possible by ISA.”
Felix Meyerhoff works as a scientific advisor for international affairs and development policy at the office of the German Council for Sustainable Development (RNE), where he also coordinates the Global Forum, a global network of national multi-stakeholder advisory bodies on the SDGs. He holds an M.Sc. in Conflict Resolution & Governance and has previously worked at the liaison office of the Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH to the African Union in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
Prof. Dr. Eurídice Leyequién Abarca
Researcher and Advisor
Van Hall Larenstein University of Applied Sciences
“I have enjoyed participating in the selection of candidates, and reading their proposals has given me inspiration and the certainty that the new generations will bring accelerated positive change in this world.”
Eurídice Leyequién has been working as a researcher and advisor in the field of global change in forested landscapes and agroecological systems for more than 20 years, focusing on human-driven ecosystems, for example, agroforestry and secondary forests, in national and international arenas. Currently, Eurídice holds the professorship of Management of Forested Landscapes, is the Director of Research and Education of the foundation Rewilding Academy and is an agroforestry consultant at the FAO. She also collaborates with multiple organizations around the world, for example, the African Conservation Foundation, the Climate Alliance for Climate Smart Agriculture, and ISA. In her work, she envisions a green landscape where the maintenance and enhancement of ecosystem services can go hand in hand with the economic profit that people ‘harvest’.
Raof Al Waziza
Researcher
Akkon Hochschule (IRIA) / Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin
“As a jury, I enjoyed the well-structured and continuously improving program. I firmly believe that the ISA program is a special program because it provides equitable and fair opportunities for enthusiastic young people from around the globe to excel in managing their projects after being coached and mentored in Germany.”
Raof Al Waziza is a public health specialist. Since 2016, Raof has been engaged in several health and nutrition humanitarian projects, especially in fragile and conflict settings. Currently, he works as a research associate at Akkon/ IRIA, responsible for different tasks, but mainly in a health prevention and WASH project addressing the special needs of rural communities in Yemen. He works in collaboration with Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin on the topic of Malnutrition & Health Systems Strengthening.
Prof. Dr. Jacqueline Loos
Lecturer and Researcher
Leuphana University, School of Sustainability
“I enjoy being a jury at the ISA interviews because it allowed me to meet inspiring, creative, and powerful agents of change.”
Jacqueline Loos is a critical ecologist working in sustainability science. Her main interests are the relationships and responses between the environment, biodiversity, and humans. Through interdisciplinary perspectives, she researches human-nature interactions at conceptual and practical levels. Specifically, she is focusing on Environmental Justice in Development and Biodiversity Conservation, thereby applying a social-ecological understanding of protected areas to scrutinize interdependencies between governance arrangements, management effectiveness, and social-ecological outcomes.
Fekri Dureab
Researcher
Heidelberg Institute of Global Health, Heidelberg University / Institute of Research for International Assistance, Akkon Hochschule, Berlin
“Being a jury at ISA permits me to meet new people and be exposed to new ideas from applicants from all over the world ”
Fekri is a member of the Global Health Policies and Systems Group at the Heidelberg Institute of Global Health at Heidelberg University and the Institute of Research for International Assistance, Akkon Hochschule. He is working on a project to strengthen Health System in Yemen by implementing quality improvement approaches. He is the coordinator of a short course “Diseases Control” at the Heidelberg Institute of Global Health; he worked and published several articles on disease early warning systems in fragile states and the response to outbreaks such as cholera, diphtheria, and COVID-19 in Yemen. He is also working on a research project addressing preparedness and response, disease control, and infodemics management with a focus on developing countries and crisis settings.
Carolin Lender
Administrator
Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development – BMZ
“I enjoyed being a part of the jury due to the high variety of interesting projects and highly motivated candidates. In my opinion, ISA is a special program, because it links and brings forward young people from all over the world that have an equal goal – to contribute to the achievement of the SDGs “
Carolin Lender is a cultural anthropologist. Before working for BMZ, she was working for different organizations in the NGO sector for about 10 years, supporting German and local NGOs in projects of development corporations and humanitarian aid.
Dr Arend de Haas
African Conservation Foundation – director / GEF CSO Network – Regional Focal Point for Europe
Rewilding Academy – director / Ark2030 – CTO
“Being part of the jury at the ISA I find a deeply enriching experience. It is inspiring to witness the passion and dedication of the applicants, all of whom were committed to making a positive impact on the world.”
Arend de Haas is a conservation ecologist. Since 2001 he has been developing and coordinating conservation programs as a director of the African Conservation Foundation, focusing on the capacity development of organizations and individuals in Africa. Since 2013, he is involved in ecosystem restoration and rewilding projects in Europe and since 2019 he is developing landscape restoration programs in South East Asia. As part of the Rewilding Academy, he is developing training programs and curricula for young professionals, as well as co-leading two UN Decades on Ecosystem Restoration Education Challenges.