School of Social and Political Science

Background

Preliminary PhD title: Bound to lead? China's role in climate change governance between perception, conception, and reality

Supervisors

Prof Juliet Kaarbo

Assoc Prof Oliver Turner

Qualifications

M.A. (Hons) Politics of East Asia, Ruhr University Bochum, Germany

B.A. Sinology/China Studies, Free University of Berlin, Germany

Publications

Brod, M.C.M.; Miß, F.; Vender, K. (2019) 'How Development Cooperation can impact Regional Economic Cooperation and Integration - Examples from German support for the Greater Tumen Initiative'. In: Regional Cooperation and Economic Integration in Asia. Bonn, Eschborn: GIZ (publ.), pp. 147-165.

Brod, M.C.M.; Vender, K. (2019) GTI Policy Brief 1: Special Economic Zones in the Greater Tumen Region: how to tap their full potential. Beijing: Greater Tumen Initiative.

Vender, K. (2017) 'China’s Role Conception and Foreign Policy Role in Economic Integration Processes in the Asia-Pacific'. Mapping China Journal. No. 1, 27-51.

Bergner, M.; Breuer (now Schwerbrock), J.; Vender, K. (2015) A Eurasian Approach to Food Security Governance: The potential role of the New Silk Road Initiative. Project paper presented at the Youth Innovation Competition for Global Governance (YICGG), 18-20 August 2015, Milan, Italy.

Relevant Work Experience

10/2020 - 01/2021 Assignment marking on the course "International Relations of the Asia Pacific", University of Edinburgh, UK

09/2018 - 05/2019 Tutor on the courses "International Cooperation in Europe and Beyond" and "Comparative Politics in a Globalised World", University of Edinburgh, UK

05/2018 - 07/2018 Research Assistant for Dr Kristen Hopewell, then Senior Lecturer in International Political Economy, University of Edinburgh, UK

03/2017 - 08/2017  Programme Assistant at Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammen­arbeit (GIZ) in the programme "Support for Economic Cooperation in Sub-Regional Initiatives in Asia“, Beijing, PR China

05/2015 - 02/2016  Student Research Assistant at the Department for International Political Economy of East Asia, Prof. Sebastian Bersick, Ruhr University Bochum, Germany

08/2014 - 10/2014  Research Assistant at the Centre for China-EU Relations, School of International Relations and Public Affairs (SIRPA), Fudan University, Shanghai, PR China 

Participation in Conferences and Workshops

PhD workshop "Sustainable Development Research – an Interdisciplinary  Chance or Challenge?", 12-19 Nov 2020, organised by the Free University of Berlin as part of the University Alliance for Sustainability (UAS)

Global Development Policy and Perspective Professional Development Course, 20-31 July 2020, Institute of Development Studies (IDS), Centre for Rising Powers and Global Development (CRPD)

Joint East Asian Studies Conference (JEASC),  4-6 September 2019, University of Edinburgh. Paper title: "Understanding change in China’s international climate change policy: vertical and horizontal role contestation and foreign policy making in China"

Foreign Policy Research Network Conference: Foreign Policy in a Globalising World: Accounting for Change, 17 May 2019, University of Edinburgh

PSA 69th Annual International Conference, 15-17 April 2019, Nottingham, UK.
Paper title: "A Changing Role in a Changing Climate: China as a Global Climate Leader?"

BISA PG and ECR Conference, 9-10 April 2019, University of Portsmouth, UK. Paper title: "The past, present and future of China’s role in climate change mitigation: a role theoretical examination of foreign policy change"

Awards and Scholarships

PhD Scholarship from the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) (09/2017-08/2018)

Award for best M.A. thesis in the Department of Politics of East Asia, Ruhr University Bochum, Germany (2017)

Language Skills

German (native speaker)

English (fluent)

Chinese (intermediate)

Volunteering

In winter 2020/2021, together with two other PhD students, I co-founded the SDG Research Network at the University of Edinburgh. We provide a platform for students and researchers from all disciplines to exchange ideas about their work and how it connects/relates with the SDGs.

Since fall 2018 I am co-convening the student-led Foreign Policy Analysis Research Group at the University of Edinburgh's Politics and International Relations department.

In the summer months of 2018, I conducted a comparative study of urban climate adaptation measures and knowledge exchange between the cities of Edinburgh and Copenhagen. The report is available at the living lab projects database of Edinburgh University's Social Responsibility and Sustainability department.