Research into Russia’s war against Ukraine and its consequences
Social scientist Gwendolyn Sasse works at the intersection of political science and sociology, with a regional focus on Eastern Europe. She likes to view the major political upheavals, crises and wars of our time ‘from below’. She regularly collects her own survey data in complex contexts shaped by war, migration, displacement or protests, as well as focus group and interview data, which provide insights into the patterns of thought and argumentation of ‘ordinary citizens’ in crisis situations. She actively contributes to discussions on multi-methodological approaches and challenges in research ethics. Through case studies and comparative research, she has made a significant contribution to our understanding of transformation processes and political systems in Eastern Europe since 1989/1991, the EU’s eastward enlargement, political protest movements, and the causes, dynamics and consequences of wars. Her research on Russia’s war against Ukraine and its consequences has made her a prominent voice in public discourse. Science communication is a particular priority for her. In an interdisciplinary project, she is currently investigating the prevalence of stress-related disorders and their impact on political attitudes and behaviour, using the example of the Ukrainian civilian population during the war. An overarching thematic focus of her work is the relationship between war and democracy.
Gwendolyn Sasse studied history, Slavic studies and political science at the University of Hamburg and the London School of Economics (LSE) from 1991 to 1995. After completing her PhD in Political Science at the LSE (1999), she worked first as an Assistant Professor at the Central European University and then as a Lecturer and Senior Lecturer at the LSE, before moving to the University of Oxford in 2007. There she was a Professorial Fellow at Nuffield College and a Professor of Comparative Politics. Since 2016, she has built up the Centre for Eastern European and International Studies (ZOiS) in Berlin as its Research Director and was appointed Einstein Professor of Comparative Democracy and Authoritarianism Research at Humboldt University in Berlin in 2021. She is a Senior Research Fellow at Nuffield College, Oxford, and a Senior Non-Resident Fellow at the think tank Carnegie Europe.
Research focus: The basis and limits of accountability for ‘mass crimes’
Florian Jeßberger focuses on the international and historical dimensions of criminal law. His work centres on exploring the basis and limits of accountability for “mass crimes” – genocide, war crimes and crimes against humanity, terrorism – as well as questions of coordination and integration of normative orders. His methodological approach is characterised by the combination of perspectives from criminal law, international law and contemporary history. He is currently particularly interested in colonial criminal law and its continuities.
Florian Jeßberger completed his studies in law and political science with both state law examinations (Cologne 1995, Berlin 2000). He was awarded his doctorate by the University of Cologne in 1999; in 2008, he completed his habilitation at Humboldt University in Berlin, where he held the Lichtenberg Chair in International Criminal Law and Comparative Criminal Law until 2010. In 2010, he took up a chair in criminal law at the Faculty of Law at the University of Hamburg. Since 2020, he has held the Chair of Criminal Law, Criminal Procedure, International Criminal Law and Contemporary Legal History at the Faculty of Law and has been Director of the Franz von Liszt Institute for International Criminal Law at Humboldt University. Visiting professorships have taken him to numerous universities abroad, most recently to Columbia University in New York City, the University of Oxford, the University of Haifa and the University of Ferrara. Since 2025, he has been one of two founding directors of the Centre for Advanced Studies Reflexive Globalisation and the Law.
About the Academy
The Berlin-Brandenburg Academy of Sciences and Humanities currently comprises 174 full members and 65 associate members from all disciplines, both in Germany and abroad. This association of outstanding scholars looks back on a tradition spanning more than 300 years. Election is carried out by the Academy Council and confirmed by the Assembly of Academy Members.