They have completed their doctoral theses – and an impressive chapter in their careers: Tobias Lechner, Kristina Piilik, Mina Sumaadii and Assja Vishnevskaya-Mann. An internationally diverse group themselves, all four researched topic areas in international politics under the supervision of Prof. Segbers at the Center for Global Politics (CGP).

Tobias Lechner (PhD) assessed the impact of economic sanctions on the political system. Kristina Piilik (PhD), already an OEI alumna though her MA in East European Studies, identified drivers of democratization in a comparative study of the former Soviet (influenced) republics. Mina Sumaadii (PhD) researched the development approach underlying China’s foreign aid in the Balkans and the South Caucasus. And Assja Vishnevskaya (PhD), an alumna of CGP's MA program German Studies Russia analyzed the role of language in sources of diffuse support for separatist groups with the example of EU Parliament support for China’s ethnic minorities.

Along with the CGP staff, who shared in the thrill of the final throes, Prof. Segbers congratulates the fresh postdocs on their achievement and wishes them all the best for their futures in academia and beyond.