Economist with a background in social sciences and psychology. My dissertation analyzed trade barriers in food trade between Serbia and the EU. My professional journey spans interdisciplinary research, policy advising, and leading international projects. As Principal Investigator at the Socio-Economic Intervention Lab (SECI Lab), Justus Liebig University Giessen, my colleagues and I are conducting a quasi-experimental intervention study in collaboration with the German Technical Cooperation (GIZ) in Serbia.
The intervention aims to reduce discriminatory behavior in local social offices and enhance administrative efficiency and accountability.
At the German Institute of Development and Sustainability (IDOS), where I have been an associate researcher since 2020, I focus on analyzing social cohesion and collective action.
Previously, at the Center for Development Research (ZEF) in Bonn, I was responsible for a BMZ-funded project on rural development and farmer empowerment in Kenya and Burkina Faso.
My responsibilities included project design, the theoretical advancement and operationalization of the concept of empowerment, field research, data analysis, and providing recommendations to improve democratic governance and socioeconomic structures through farmer organizations.
My work integrates evidence-based research with actionable insights, fostering social cohesion, sustainability, and governance reforms globally and especially on the Western Balkans and Sub-Saharan Africa.