Mara-Katharina Thurnhofer is a student of the Security, Intelligence and Strategic Studies Master’s program offered by a consortium of European universities. Before starting her Master’s, she successfully completed a Bachelor’s degree in social sciences at Georg-August-Universität Göttingen, Germany. Throughout her studies, she has been focusing on American politics and sociology. To deepen her understanding, she completed two exchange semesters in the U.S. at Western Washington University in Bellingham, as well as an internship at the U.S. Consulate General in Frankfurt, Germany. Her academic and personal interests intertwine in topics such as feminist security studies, the intersectionality of gendered violence and gender approaches to cybersecurity and technology. To connect these interests with practical experience, Mara has taken leading roles in non-profit organizations and companies. Currently, she is part of the data team at Brand New Bundestag, a political grassroots initiative in Germany and is events team coordinator at the Security Distillery, a student-run think tank.
