Education and Work Experience

• Since 09/2021: Berlin Graduate School for Global and Transregional Studies (BGTS), Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Germany, PhD Researcher

• 10/2016-11/2019: Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin, Germany, M.A. Political Science
• 10/2012-10/2016: Technische Universität Dresden, Germany, B.A. Political Science and Communication Science
• 08/2015-01/2016: Boston University, USA, Study Abroad Semester

Academic Appointments, Scientific Activities & Outreach

• 09/2020-05/2021: Hertie School, Berlin, Germany. Research Associate to Prof. Marina Henke
• 12/2018-05/2020: Center for Responsible Research and Innovation at the Fraunhofer Institute for Industrial Engineering IAO, Berlin, Germany. Project ‘H2-Chancendialog’, Student Research Assistant

Fellowships, Stipends and Awards

• 2021-2023 Oxford Grant for the project ‘Europe in a Changing World’, SCRIPTS & WZB in cooperation with Dahrendorf Programme at the European Studies Centre at St Antony’s College at the University of Oxford
• 06/2021-03/2022: Bucerius Start Up Scholarship within the PhD scholarship program ‘Beyond Borders’, ZEIT-Stiftung Ebelin und Gerd Bucerius
• 04/2015-11/2019: Study and Research Scholarship, German National Academic Foundation (Studienstiftung des deutschen Volkes)
• 09/2016-03/2018: ‘Kolleg Europa’ Fellowship, jointly organized by the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD), the Alfred Toepfer Foundation (Alfred Toepfer Stiftung F.V.S.) and the German National Academic Foundation (Studienstiftung des deutschen Volkes)
• 08/2015-01/2016: Study Abroad Scholarship and Travel Grant, PROMOS program of the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD)
• 10/2013-03/2015: Study and Research Scholarship (the ‘Deutschlandstipendium’), German Federal Ministry of Education and Research

• International Migration, Border Controls and Human Rights
• Digital Surveillance, Surveillance Technologies and Digital Vulnerabilities
• International Security and Global Politics

• Kirsch, T 2019, ‘Das Visum und die Verlagerung der Grenzkontrolle’, in M Pichl & T Tohidipur (eds), An den Grenzen Europas und des Rechts. Interdisziplinäre Perspektiven auf Migration, Grenzen und Recht, transcript Verlag, Bielefeld, pp. 149-176.
• Kirsch, T 2017, ‘Unequal Im/Mobilities. Why Do Visa Policies Exclude Certain Groups of People but Not Others? An Analysis of the Schengen Visa Policy’, poster presented at the 1st ‘Herkunft Zukunft’ Conference, Hochschule für Wirtschaft und Technik Berlin, 19 January. Available from: https://events.htw-berlin.de/files/Presse/Herkunft_Zukunft/Herkunft_Zukunft_Thea_Kirsch.pdf. 

Media

Kirsch, T 2021, Interview, Video-Series “Faces of SCRIPTS”, Cluster of Excellence SCRIPTS, 2021. Available from: https://youtu.be/aHA4j0Tkw0U.