Meet our Peer Board
TDHJ Special Edition provides our readers with peer-reviewed research papers on security and defense-related topics. The research papers are made possible by our Peer Board experts—academics and practitioners alike—who volunteer their time to read and evaluate viable manuscripts in a double-blind peer review process.
Velina Tchakarova | Member
Velina Tchakarova, M.A. is head of the Institute at the Austrian Institute for European and Security Policy (AIES) in Vienna. Holds an MA in political science/ political science of South Asia from the University of Heidelberg and a BA in IR from the University of World and National Economy in Sofia. Her work includes research, consulting and lectures on the global system transformation and geostrategy of global actors, particularly the EU’s role in Eastern Europe.
Heiko Borchert | Member
Dr. Heiko Borchert is owner and managing director of Borchert Consulting & Research AG, a strategic affairs consulting boutique. He holds a Ph. D. from the University of St. Gallen, where he also studied International Relations, International Law, business administration, and economics. Since 1997 he has been working for public and private sector clients with a focus on developing public policy and corporate strategies, providing (geo)strategic analyses to support business development, technology and product roadmaps, and building multinational consortia for defense capability and technology development.
Franz-Stefan Gady | Member
Franz-Stefan Gady is a defense analyst and fellow with the Institute for International Strategic Studies (IISS). Franz-Stefan has advised militaries in Europe and the United States on structural reform and the future of armed conflict. Conducted field research in Afghanistan and Iraq, where he i.a. embedded with the Afghan National Army, NATO forces and Kurdish militias. Member of the Advisory Committee Political Symposium of Forum Alpbach.
Gerhard Jandl | Member
Ambassador Dr. Gerhard Jandl is the Austrian Head of Mission at the Council of Europe since 2018. He studied law and national economy in Vienna and Graz. Worked at the Austrian Mission to the United Nations in New York until 1993, later at the Austrian Embassy in Tunis. From 2008 until 2018 he worked as Security Policy Director at the Austrian Ministry for European and International Affairs.
Heinz Gärtner | Member
Prof. Dr. Heinz Gärtner is director of the Institute of International Politics in Vienna. Lecturer in the Department of Political Science at the University of Vienna, Danube University and at the Diplomatic Academy of Vienna. Austrian Marshall Plan Foundation Fellow at the Johns Hopkins University in Washington DC. He chairs the Strategy and Security advisory board of the Austrian Armed Forces and the Advisory Board of the International Institute for Peace (IIP) in Vienna.
Matthias C. Kettemann | Member
PD Mag. Dr. Matthias C. Kettemann, LL.M. (Harvard) is head of the research program for online rules at the Leibniz Institute for Media Research | Hans-Bredow-Institute, Hamburg. He is visiting professor in International Law at the University of Jena. He also heads a project on International Internet Law at the Humboldt Institute for Internet and Society, Berlin, and directs a research group on Platform and Content Governance at WU Vienna’s Sustainable Computing.
Jörn Grävingholt | Member
Dr. Jörn Grävingholt is Senior Researcher in the research program “Transformation politischer (Un-)Ordnung” of the German Institute of Development and Sustainability (IDOS) in Bonn. His academic focus lies in fragile statehood, peacebuilding, causes of migration and flight, migration policy, governance and democracy support and development dynamics of non-democratic regimes. 2008 he became member of the Advisory Board on Civilian Crisis Prevention and Peacebuilding of the German government. Until 2018, he was co-chair of the Advisory Board.
Josef Schröfl | Member
Josef Schröfl started his career in the Austrian Armed Forces in 1982 and worked in various areas of the military. Since 2006 he served in the Austrian MoD heading: “Comprehensive Approach”, “Hybrid threats” and “Cyber Security/Cyber Defence”. He holds an M.A. in International Relations from the University of Delaware/US and a Ph. D. in International Politics from the University of Vienna. Lectures upon invitation at Universities in Europe and worldwide. Current position: Deputy Director for Strategy & Defence at the hybrid CoE in Helsinki/ Finland.
Thomas Greminger | Member
Ambassador Dr. Thomas Greminger, former Secretary General of the OSCE. Held numerous senior management positions during his career, like Deputy Director General of the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation, from 2010 to 2015 Permanent Representative of Switzerland to the OSCE and Chair of the Permanent Council during Switzerland’s 2014 OSCE Chairmanship. Prior to that, Head of the Federal Department of Foreign Affair’s Human Security Division, Switzerland’s competence centre for peace, human rights, and humanitarian and migration policy. Holds a Ph. D. in history from the University of Zurich.
Thomas Starlinger | Member
Major General Mag. Thomas Starlinger was born in 1963. In 2019 he became Austrian Federal Minister for National Defence. Since 2017, Adjutant of the Austrian Federal President Alexander Van der Bellen, advisor on military and security issues. Liaison between the Ministries of Defense, Federal Chancellery and Internal Affairs. From 1987 onwards various deployments abroad in Syria, Iran, Cyprus, and Tadzhikistan. In 2007, he worked for the European Defence Agency. In the years 2008 and 2009 Commander of the Multinational Task Force South KFOR in Kosovo. 2013 Deputy Chief of Staff Operations/Multinational Headquarters Ulm.