Dr. Carsten Wieland
Born 1971 in Mannheim, based in Berlin
Languages: German, English, Spanish, French, Arabic
Work profiles:
Diplomacy
- Senior advisor on the Middle East and Northern Africa for the Green Party Parliamentary Group at the German Bundestag, Berlin, since 2020
- Senior Political Advisor and Expert for Intra-Syrian Talks for three UN Special Envoys for Syria, Geneva (2014: Lakhdar Brahimi, 2016-2018 Staffan De Mistura, 2019 Geir O. Pedersen)
- Head of the German Information Center in Cairo, German Embassy Cairo, 2015-2016
- Diplomat in the German Foreign Office, since May 2011
Academic texts published on this website and elsewhere represent private analysis as a scholar and do not reflect any institutional view.
Academia
- Senior Researcher and Fellow at the Norwegian Peace Research Institute (PRIO), Oslo, since 2020
- Associate Fellow at the Geneva Centre for Security Policy (GCSP), Geneva, since 2018
- Lecturer at New York University (NYU), Berlin campus, 2020-2022
- Associate Professor at the Rosario University in Bogotá (Colombia), call Nov. 2009
- Guest professor for International Relations and Political Science at Santiago University in Cali (Colombia), 2008-2009
- Research Fellow at Georgetown University in Washington D.C. (USA), 2006
- Speaker at conferences and expert in international media interviews (e.g. ARD-Tagesthemen, Die Zeit, Spiegel-online, Deutschlandfunk, Deutschlandradio, Hessischer Rundfunk, Bayerischer Rundfunk, Südwestrundfunk, Deutsche Welle, Voice of America, Syria TV, Al-Hurra TV, RCN Colombia)
- Author of a project on moderate Muslims in Syria and Turkey at the Center for Modern Oriental Studies (ZMO) in Berlin, 2005
Academic foci: Middle East politics and society (esp. Syria), political mediation, Colombia, nationalism, ethnic conflicts, religion and secularism, peace and conflict studies, business in conflict.Regional expertise: Middle East, South America, Balkans, South Asia.
Management and Consulting Experience
- Consultant for the German Development Agency (GIZ), Syria Peace Initiative
- Consultant for the German Foreign Office, Royal Danish Ministry of Foreign Affairs, US Institute of Peace, Freedom House at different times
- Political consultant and country representative for Colombia for the Konrad Adenauer Foundation in Bogotá, 2006-2009
- Consultant and leader of a working group for the Government and the Congress of Colombia (reform of parliamentary regulations, elections and other political reforms, 2007-2008
- International election observer on invitation of the Colombian Government, 2007
- Trainee and senior executive at the Goethe Institute (Munich, Cairo, Berlin), 2005-2006
- Political consultant for the Institute of Organizational Communication (IFOK) (Berlin, Washington D.C.), 2006
Journalism Experience
- Head of Corporate Communication & Public Affairs with the German Press Agency (DPA), 2010-2011
- Senior sales manager professional information and public sector, business development and public affairs with DPA, 2009-2010
- Correspondent for DPA in Tel Aviv, Washington, Colombia, and political correspondent in Hannover 2000-2002
- Freelance journalist in war-time Sarajevo (Bosnia), South Africa, and India
- Author of academic and journalistic books
- President of journalists.network (Berlin)
- Traineeship (Volontariat) with the German Press-Agency (DPA)
- IJP scholar of the Latin American exchange program in Colombia (2000)
- Board member and spokesman of the Young European Federalists (JEF) on federal and state level (Berlin)
- Board member of the Free Young Press of Baden-Württemberg (Mannheim)
Memberships
- Fellow and member of the editorial board of Syria Studies of the Centre for Syrian Studies, University of St. Andrews, Scotland
- Member of the editorial board of Jahrbuch für Verfassung, Recht und Staat im islamischen Kontext, Berlin
- Member of the editorial board of Papel Político, Javeriana University, Bogotá (Colombia)
- Member of the European Movement Germany
Studies
- History, Political Science, Philosophy and International Relations at Humboldt University in Berlin (Germany), Duke University in North Carolina (USA), and Jawaharlal Nehru University in New Delhi (India).
- Arabic language studies at the University of Damascus (Syria).
- Public Policy Management at Georgetown University, Washington D.C.
- Dissertation: Nation-state by Accident: The Politicization of Ethnic Groups and the Ethnicization of Politics, Bosnia, India, Pakistan, Manohar, New Delhi 2006 / Nationalstaat wider Willen: Die Politisierung von Ethnien und die Ethnisierung der Politik, Bosnien, Indien, Pakistan, Campus, Frankfurt-M./New York 2000