Sina Birkholz, Dipl.Pol., is a Research Associate at the Collaborative Research Center (SFB) 700 “Governance in Areas of Limited Statehood” at Freie Universität Berlin and an affiliated PhD candidate at the BTS, Berlin Graduate School for Transnational Studies. Sina is fascinated by the potential of ethnography and currently writing her PhD, an interpretive ethnography of Political Aid in Lebanon. Her further research interests comprise the sociology of globalisation and development, politics and society of the MENA region, and interpretive methodologies. Sina studied political science, psychology and IR at Augsburg University and the University of St Andrews, and has spent extended periods of time doing research and living in Egypt and Lebanon. 

Education

Since 10/2014 PhD student (affiliate status) at BTS – Berlin Graduate School for Transnational Studies, Working title of PhD project: (Non)Political Work – An interpretive ethnography of everyday democracy and rule of law assistance in Lebanon, Supervisors: Professor Ursula Schröder, Freie Universität Berlin, and Professor Teresa Koloma-Beck, Universität der Bundeswehr München

2005 – 2012 Diplom Programme Political Science; Augsburg University, Degree: Diplom Political Science (1.0), Thesis: “Identities at Crossroads: Young Muslim Women in Post-Revolutionary Egypt”

2008 – 2009 Visiting Student at the University of St Andrews, Scotland; Faculty of Arts, Department of International Relations

Professional Career

Since 06/2014 Research Associate at the Collaborative Research Center (SFB) 700, Freie Universität Berlin, Project C 6 (The Politics of State- and Security-Building in Areas of Limited Statehood), Principal Investigator: Prof. Dr. Ursula Schröder

10/12 – 05/14 Research Associate at the Institute for Interdisciplinary Research on Conflict and Violence, Bielefeld University, Project “Violence Research and Development”,Principal Investigator Prof. Dr. Wilhelm Heitmeyer

09/10 – 01/11 Tutor for M.A. Research Seminar at the Department of Political Science, Peace and Conflict Studies, Prof. Dr. Christoph Weller, Augsburg University

03/10 – 09/10 Student Assistant at the Department of Political Science, Peace and Conflict Studies, Prof. Dr. Christoph Weller, Augsburg University

02/08 – 08/08 Intern at the Austrian Cultural Forum Cairo acf/c, Austrian Embassy in Cairo, Egypt

Language Skills

German (native) • English (excellent command) • French (good command) • Egyptian Arabic (good command) • Modern Standard Arabic (good command)

Scholarships and Funding

• 2011 Travel allowance by the German National Academic Foundation (Studienstiftung des deutschen Volkes) for master thesis field research in Cairo, Egypt
• 09/08 – 05/09 Study abroad scholarship by the German National Academic (Studienstiftung des deutschen Volkes) Foundation and the Max-Weber-Programme (stay at the University of St Andrews, Scotland)
• 10/08 – 10/11 Fellow of the German National Academic Foundation (Studienstiftung des deutschen Volkes)
• 08/05 – 10/12: Fellow of the Max-Weber-Programme of the State of Bavaria

Membership in Academic Associations

DAVO – Deutsche Arbeitsgemeinschaft Vorderer Orient

AFK – Arbeitsgemeinschaft Friedens- und Konfliktforschung

BRISMES – British Society for Middle Eastern Studies

Publications

• Birkholz, Sina (2014):“Struggles of Distinction: Young Women Constructing Their Class Identity in Egypt’s Americanized Milieu”, in: META-Middle East Topics & Arguments, Vol. 2.
• Birkholz, Sina (2013): Confronting Gerontocracy – The Youthful Character of the Egyptian Revolution, Working Paper Series by the Center for Middle Eastern and North African Studies, FU Berlin, No.9. (PDF, externer Link)
• Birkholz, Sina (2011): Identities at Crossroads: Young Muslim Women in Post-Revolutionary Egypt. How female students from Cairo's upper middle class experience and navigate the contradictions in an increasingly globalised and divided society. Diploma Thesis submitted at Augsburg University. (PDF, externer Link)
• Birkholz, Sina / Jacobs, Andreas (2010) „Theoretische Herangehensweisen der Friedens- und Konfliktforschung. IV. Workshop des AK Theorie der Arbeitsgemeinschaft für Friedens- und Konfliktforschung“, in: Wissenschaft und Frieden, No. 4, pp.73-75

Conference papers

• Birkholz, Sina (2014) ‘Globalisation has done its job’ - Young Egyptians’ Everyday Cosmopolitanism, conference paper at the BRISMES Annual Conference 2014, Sussex University, Brighton, June 16, 2014.
• Birkholz, Sina (2012): Female Participation in the Egyptian Revolution – Dismantling the Patriarchal Bargain?, conference paper at the workshop Women, Culture, and the 25th January 2011 Egyptian Revolution, Manchester University, November 15, 2012.
• Birkholz, Sina (2012): The Egyptian Revolution – A youthful fight against patriarchy?, conference paper at the DAVO Annual Congress, Erlangen University, Erlangen, October 4, 2012.
• Birkholz, Sina (2012): A lost generation rising up – Analysing the Egyptian Revolution from a ‘youth’ perspective, conference paper at the AFK Annual Colloquium, March 24, 2012. (PDF, externer Link)