About us

Dr. Frank-Dieter Freiling Head of Arthur F. Burns Fellowship, Middle East Fellowship, Ernst Cramer & Teddy Kollek Fellowship

Legal studies. Dr jur. Freelance journalist, especially for the FAZ and for various weekly publications. 1993-1997 working as a magazine publisher. 1997 joined the German broadcaster ZDF. Since 2000 head of International Affairs ZDF. Member of the supervisory committees of the European Broadcasting Union and of Arte. Book publications about Germany, the United Nations and France.

Benedikt Karmann Chief Financial Officer

Diploma in Economics at the Humboldt University of Berlin with studies abroad at the University of Siena and University of Habana. Master of Science in London (LSE). Worked for research institutions in the health care industry, now management consultant in an international auditing and consulting company.

Miodrag Soric Head of Marion Gräfin Döhoff Fellowship, Johannes Rau Fellowship, Polish Fellowship and South Eastern European Fellowship

Chief Correspondent Deutsche Welle (DW) in Bonn. Previously Senior Correspondent Deutsche Welle Moscow (2017-2019). Bureau Chief Deutsche Welle Washington D.C. (2009-2017). 2001-2009 editor-in-chief at Deutsche Welle radio and online. 1999-2001 head of the Eastern Europe department at DW. 1995-1999 head of the Russian department. 1991 “Kurt-Magnus’ award of ARD. Study of Slavic, political science and German philology in Cologne, Moscow, Kiev and Munich. Former member of the board of Reporters without Borders.

Martin Spiewak Head of Latin American Fellowship

Study of history and Spanish in Hamburg and Madrid. “Deutsche Journalistenschule” in Munich. Editor for four years at “Deutsches Allgemeine Sonntagsblatt” in Hamburg. 1997 – 1999 freelance journalist (reports, analyses and features). Since July 1999 editor at the weekly newspaper “Die Zeit” at the department ‘WISSEN’ (education, medical ethics). Since 2004 member of in the Berlin office of the weekly. Several awards for in-depth reporting.

Marco Vollmar Head of Federal President Horst Köhler Fellowship

Marco Vollmar studied political science, history and economics in Bonn and Paris. After a tri-medial traineeship, he worked as a correspondent at the ARD Berlin studio for MDR and SWR and as a business and political editor for Deutsche Welle. In 2002, he became Head of the Television Directorate and four years later, Editor-in-Chief of DW’s online and radio programme. In 2011, he moved to the environmental protection organization WWF Germany as Managing Director Communications & Campaigns. Since 2023, he has been partner at the international communications consultancy MSL.

Vassilios Theodossiou Head of George Weidenfeld Fellowship, Northern European Fellowship, Central Eastern European Fellowship

Study of Law, Political Economy and Philosophy in Göttingen, London (LSE), Bonn and Speyer. Works as lawyer.

Rainer Haubrich

Studied history, art history and political science in Bonn and Berlin, then freelance journalist and television writer. Since 1998 at WELT, initially editor for architecture and urban development, 2005 head of the feature section, since 2010 deputy head of opinion at WELT and WELT AM SONNTAG. Winner of the German-French Journalism Prize and the Schinkel Prize. 2001-2003 Member of the Berlin State Monuments Council. Ten publications, including “Berlin. Der Architekturführer” (2001), “Gesichter des alten Rom” (2016), “Das Berliner Schloss” (2020) and “Der Kurfürstendamm” (2021). At IJP, Rainer Haubrich served as head of the French and Dutch programmes.

Martina Johns

Studied sinology in Hamburg, China and Bonn. 1986 trainee at NDR, afterwards TV reporter for ARD, including Asia and the national news programmes. 1993 political editor at ZDF. 1995 – 2000 Head of the department of International Relations, now freelance journalist. Various book publications about China’s economy. Alumna Arthur F. Burns Fellowship (1993). Member of the board and head of the German-Asian Programme until 2022. Founder of the Asia Programme, head of IJP’s science projects and in charge of the Japan Programme. Member of the advisory board since early 2023.

Stefan Oelze

Founder and board member of Rosebank AG with four production companies in Cologne and Munich. Board member of the Film- und Medienverband NRW and the Produzentenallianz.

After studying Political Science and European Studies in Hamburg and London, from 1996 to 2008 at Granada Media Group, later ITV PLC; 2001 – 2008 Managing Director of Granada Produktion für Film und Fernsehen GmbH in Berlin and Cologne. From 2009 to 2012 CCO of MME Moviement AG and Managing Director of filmpool. 2013 – 2014 Board of Directors of Joiz AG. IJP member since 1991; Head of the German-British Programme from 1994 – 1997, then Spokesman of the Board (until 2000) and Chief Financial Officer (until 2003).