Current Student Representatives [2023-2025]

For more information activities organized by the student representatives, you can visit the EcoS Facebook Group or Instagram profile. 

You can also contact them directly via stv.ecos@oeh.univie.ac.at

Mareike Libuda

Mareike Libuda is a graduate student and student representative at the Chair of East Asian Economy and Society. She holds a B.A. degree in Asian and African Area Studies with a focus on East Asia from the Humboldt University of Berlin. During her studies, she spent one year abroad in Hangzhou and Taiwan to complete two semesters of intensive Chinese language courses at Zhejiang University (partly online).

Her research interests include democratic backsliding during the pandemic, especially in East Asia, as well as Chinese linguistic landscapes in Europe.

Fabian Fischer

Fabian Fischer is a graduate student and student representative at the Chair of East Asian Economy and Society. He holds a B.A. in Sinology and is also enrolled in the B.A. programme in Political Science at the University of Vienna. During his studies, he spent three months abroad in Kaohsiung at National Sun Yat-Sen University and studied for one semester at Donghua University in Shanghai (online).

His research interests include authoritarian durability in one-party states and the security implications of China’s diplomatic engagement in the MENA region and Southeast Asia.

Lucas Wiegand

Lucas Wiegand is a graduate student at the Chair of East Asian Economy and Society and student representative of the program. He  holds a B.A. in Political Science from the Ludwig Maximilian University (LMU) in Munich. Currently, Lucas spends an exchange semester in Taiwan at the National Chengchi University, before resuming his studies in March 2024 in Vienna.

His research interests include security politics in the East Asian and Pacific region, EU-China as well as Cross-Strait relations.

Former Student Representatives [2021-2023]

Florian Klumpp

Florian Klumpp is a graduate student at the department of East Asian Economy and Society at the University of Vienna and student representative of the program. He holds a B.A. degree in Asian Studies and Management with a focus on China from the University of Applied Sciences Konstanz. In the course of his studies, he spent 1 ½ years abroad in Shanghai and Taipei, completing two exchange semesters and an internship at the German Consulate General in Shanghai.

His research interests include the varying environmental and energy policies in East Asia, manifestations of China’s rise and their implications for the region and the EU as well as the evolution of regional economic cooperation.

Team supporting the Student Representative

Viktoria Federspiel

Viktoria Federspiel is a graduate student at the Chair of East Asian Economy and Society at the University of Vienna and is a helping hand to Florian, the official student representative of the program. She holds a BSc and MSc degree in Business Administration at the Vienna University of Economics and Business with a focus on Strategy & Innovation.

During her studies, she also had the opportunity to spend one semester at The University of Georgia (USA) and one semester at Seoul National University (South Korea). Her research interests include innovation policies, start-up ecosystems and strategic management practices in East Asia.

Helena Kick

Helena Kick is a graduate student at the Chair of East Asian Economy and Society at the University of Vienna and a helping hand to the student representative of the program, Florian. She holds a B.A. degree in Political Sciences at the Goethe University Frankfurt with a focus on East and Central Asia.

Her research interests include the interplay of national identities and statehood, housing politics and the implications of being as city state on political processes and policy making.

Former Student Representatives [2019-2021]

Leah Schrimpf

Leah Schrimpf is currently a graduate student at the Chair of East Asian Economy and Society and student representative of the program. She holds a B.A. in Political Science from the Otto-Suhr-Institute at the Free University of Berlin. Having grown up in Shanghai, China and having spent a semester abroad studying at National Taiwan University in Taipei, Leah has always felt especially drawn to East Asian politics, society and economics.

Her specialized research interests include issues of International Relations within the East Asian and Pacific region, more specifically Peace and Conflict Studies and interdisciplinary research between Psychology and IR on concepts such as emotion and national identity.

 

Chelsea Tan

Chelsea Tan is a Master student and one of the student representatives at the Chair of East Asian Economy and Society of the University of Vienna. She previously graduated with a BA Honours in Sociology from Goldsmiths University of London, where her research involved exploring the influence of social and class bias and stereotypes on gentrification in London.

Currently, she is especially interested in how issues manifested from gender, social and class differences interact and influence the social, economic and political spheres of the East Asia region.

Manuel Widmann

Manuel Widmann is a student of East Asian Economy and Society at the University of Vienna and student representative of the program. He holds a B.A. degree in Business Administration from The Cooperative State University of Baden-Wuerttemberg.

During his studies, Manuel spent half a year studying abroad at the Beijing City University. Besides this, he gained international working experience in the field of Controlling by working for an Italian company based in Milan. His academic interests include Comparative Startup Ecosystems, Innovation Policy as well as Economic Diplomacy in East Asia.

Former Student Representatives [2017-2019]

Alejandra Cervantes Nieto

Alejandra Cervantes Nieto was a student assistant at the Chair of East Asian Economy and Society and student representative for EcoS. She holds a BA in International Relations from Universidad del Norte in Barranquilla, Colombia, and an MA Degree on East Asian Economy and Society - EcoS. Alejandra has a five years’ experience working in the public sector as a trade specialist, as well as advising companies with export potential.

She was University (prae-doc) Assistant at the Chair of East Asian Economy and Society. Her research interests include transnational security threats in East Asia and international cooperation, with a particular focus on comparative drug policy analysis.

Katharina Menz

Katharina Menz is a student of East Asian Economy and Society at the University of Vienna and student representative of the program. She holds a B.Sc. degree in Economics from The Vienna University of Economics and Business. During her studies, Katharina spent half a year studying abroad at The University of Hong Kong and The Australian National University.

Her academic interests include inequality in East Asia and cross-strait relations between the PRC and Taiwan. This semester, Katharina is writing her Master Thesis as well as continuing her studies in Sinology at the department.

Former Student Representatives [2015-2017]

Anna Holzmann

Anna Holzmann was student assistant at the Chair of East Asian Economy and Society (EcoS) at the University of Vienna. She is an EcoS MA Student, and currently also employed as e-Assistant for Marketing at the Vienna University of Economics and Business (WU Wien). Anna holds a BSc in International Business Administration from WU Wien, and a BA in Sinology from the University of Vienna. In the course of her studies, she spent 1 1/2 years abroad in Australia and China, and gained some work experience in the area of Human Resource Management and Marketing.

Anna's research interests include environmental issues in China, with a special focus on recycling activities and the handling of natural resources, as well as International Relations theories, dynamics of regionalism and resource security concerns in East Asia and the greater Asia-Pacific Region. She is an active member of CHESS, an international research network on China and the Environment in the Social Sciences (chess.univie.ac.at).
 

Hanna Sand

Hanna Sand was student assistant at the Chair of East Asian Economy and Society in the winter term 2014. She is M.A. student of East Asian Economy and Society and holds a B.A. degree in Chinese studies and Theatre, Film and Media Science at the University of Vienna. She has spent one year at the Zhejiang University in Hangzhou, China studying Chinese Language and Culture and worked as a project manager for companies in China and Germany.

Her academic interests include Cross-Strait relations between the PRC and Taiwan, concepts of mass movements and power as well as concepts of identity creation with special regard to national identities and international institutions, and development of intellectual property rights in East Asia.
 

Daniel Yasin

Daniel Yasin was student assistant and M.A. student at the Chair of East Asian Economy and Society and B.A. student in Chinese Studies at the University of Vienna, where he holds a B.A. in Japanese Studies. He studied Japanese language and society at the Tokyo Metropolitan University in Tokyo, Japan for a year, where he also acted as a lecture assistant.

His academic interests include Migration Patterns and Migrant Workers in North and South East Asia as well as current animosities between China, Japan and the Koreas based on history and current regional politics.