Prof. Bormann is the Witten/Herdecke University PPE professor known for his contributions to the political sciences and international relations. He focuses on the topics of economic inequality, political violence and instability and political polarization as can be seen on his research, such as the DANGER project. We are very grateful for the contribution of his expertise to the PPEC panel discussion.

Prof. Andre Schmidt is a distinguished figure in the field of economics, currently serving as the Chair of Macroeconomics and International Economics at Witten/Herdecke University since July 2008. With a solid academic background, he obtained his Ph.D. from the University of Hohenheim in 1997 and completed his habilitation at Georg-August-Universität Göttingen in 2004. Prof. Schmidt's expertise extends beyond academia, as he actively engages in committee work, notably as the Dean of the Faculty of Economics at Witten/Herdecke University. He is also a recognized press expert in various economic domains including competition policy, environmental policy, European economic policy, and international trade policy. Prof. Schmidt's contributions to both research and administrative roles underscore his significant impact in the field of economics.

PPE Master student at Witten/Herdecke University. Annas´ academic interest mainly lies in Political Science; specifically right-wing populism and extremism in European Countries. The topic of her bachelor thesis was: „Right-Wing Populism in Southern Europe: Determinants of the Political Breakthrough of VOX in Spain“.

She worked as a student assistant for the Munich Security Conference 2024 and in the 2023 she was the head of the working group „Flight and Migration“ at the Youth Conference „Die UN und WIR: Jugend gestaltet globale Zukunft“ by the German Federal Foreign Office and the United Nations Association of Germany.