Research
Decode complexity – think across disciplines
Interdisciplinary research for complex challenges.
Background
From overachieving student to complexity researcher
Back in school, I never imagined I would one day become a passionate researcher of complexity and interdisciplinary systems. But when I began studying socioeconomics at the University of Hamburg, I was driven by a deep curiosity to better understand life’s big philosophical, social and cultural questions — and, in the process, myself.
What fascinated me even more was discovering how seemingly unrelated disciplines interconnect, offering a richer perspective on complex systems and real-world challenges.
A turning point came in 2005, during my master’s programme in Peace and Conflict Studies at the University of Marburg. In a seminar on the Cyprus conflict, we were divided into groups, each representing a different theoretical lens. At first I assumed we would be arguing our positions. But I soon realised: these perspectives did not compete — they complemented each other. The real value lay in combining them, not debating them.
That experience sparked a lifelong pursuit of three questions: How can we integrate diverse academic and practical perspectives into coherent approaches? What strategies help us deal with complexity and uncertainty? And how can we design interdisciplinary communication processes that lead to greater collective intelligence — and better decisions?
Current focus
Complex problems, multi-resilience and peaceful conflict resolution
In an era marked by cascading global crises and intertwined challenges, these questions are more urgent than ever. Whether in research teams, think tanks, product development or project management, people from diverse backgrounds must work together on increasingly complex tasks. What is needed is clear: interdisciplinary thinking and effective communication. Yet this remains an underexplored field, both in theory and in practice.
In my PhD thesis “Integrierte Konfliktbearbeitung im Dialog” (2011, summa cum laude), I developed a cross-disciplinary framework for analysing and resolving conflicts. Today my research explores how communication within interdisciplinary teams can be improved, to enable better decisions, stronger solutions and more resilient outcomes.
From 2019 to 2023 I was a member of the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research’s (BMBF) Future Circle, where we explored scenarios for Germany’s and Europe’s future and developed multi-resilient strategies to navigate deep uncertainty.
Since 2022 I have expanded my research into international relations, with a particular focus on conflicts such as the Russia–Ukraine war and the emerging dynamics of a “New Cold War”. At the heart of my inquiry lies one question: how can we break free from the global prisoner’s dilemma? The answer, I believe, lies in the power of communication and collective intelligence.
Research topics
Four fields at a glance
Empathy 3.0 — balancing resilience and genuine connection
Empathy is essential for understanding the impact of business and political decisions. Yet it also carries risks: emotional contagion spreads fast, especially through social media. Empathy 3.0 is an innate, universal skill grounded in mindfulness, inner balance and emotional wisdom — a cornerstone of my coaching and consulting approach, described in detail in “Das Empathietraining”.
Multi-resilience — protecting ourselves against a spectrum of crises
What does resilience really mean for collective systems — organisations, entire societies — confronting financial crashes, natural disasters, cyberterrorism, disruptive market shifts, pandemics or international conflicts? Drawing on Systems Thinking and Integrative Thinking, I have developed five core pillars for building multi-resilience.
How communication helps us navigate complexity
How can a sociologist, an architect and an engineer working on the future of urban life truly understand each other? A team’s ability to solve problems is directly linked to the quality of its communication. See “Kommunikative Komplexitätsbewältigung” for a deeper treatment.
Rethinking peace and security in times of global conflict
Territorial conflicts such as the war between Russia and Ukraine reflect deeper global dynamics and reveal a global prisoner’s dilemma. I apply a multiparadigmatic approach that bridges security-based realism and peace-oriented pacifism, to open up new avenues for peaceful conflict resolution and multilateral cooperation.
All titles are listed under Publications.
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