Academic
I am a trained political scientist. My new book "Under authoritarian eyes: Feminist Solidarity and Resistance in Russia and Serbia" came out in June 2026 and is Open Access.
I investigate how gender relates to causes, processes and effects of political violence and resistance to it through the lens of feminist social movements, governments and political parties. To do so, I use qualitative methods, including critical discourse and narrative analysis, interviews, case studies and focus groups. Regionally, I specialise in Russia, Ukraine and the Western Balkans.
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My research has received over 1,9mio € funding and multiple awards: the European Consortium for Political Research (ECPR) Joni Lovenduski PhD Prize in Gender and Politics, an honorable mention by the Swiss Association for Gender Studies as well as the Young Scholar 2022 Award by the Walter Benjamin Kolleg.
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Currently, I am senior researcher at the University of Fribourg, where I lead my own 5-year SNF Ambizione project. I am also research affiliate with ZOiS - Centre for East European and international Studies in Berlin.
I defended my DPhil in autumn 2020 at the Department of Politics and International Relations at the University of Oxford, during which I also did five visiting fellowships. Between 2020 and 2022, I worked as senior researcher and gender advisor at swisspeace.
I am an ardent lecturer and have designed and taught 11 courses across levels from undergraduate, postgraduate to professional education.
Analyst
Advisor
​I take on short-term consultancies and offer tailor-made trainings. I have i.a. been mandated by the Swiss Federal Department of Foreign Affairs and by France Diplomatie and given expert input to the Centre for Feminist Foreign Policy, the Friedrich Ebert Foundation, Pax for Peace and the European Peacebuilding Liaison Office.
​​Looking for advice or customised training?
© Florian Spring
Advocate
I have had the privilege to have meaningful jobs. Whenever possible, I have also pursued unpaid work to contribute to making the society I live in a fairer and more feminist place.
I am an active member of the Swiss Action Four Quarters which strives to make the acquisition of Swiss citizenship fairer as well as of the Swiss Socio-Democratic Party.