Professor Markus Ziener Embarks on Helmut Schmidt Fellowship

WASHINGTON (September 1, 2021) – Postponed by the pandemic, the renowned lecturer and journalist Professor Markus Ziener will start the Helmut Schmidt Fellowship awarded to him by the German Marshall Fund of the United States (GMF) and the ZEIT-Stiftung Ebelin und Gerd Bucerius this fall. This prestigious position commemorates the life, service, and legacy of global statesman Helmut Schmidt by supporting the work of an individual who has shown excellence in the academic and policy spheres through commitment to advancing the transatlantic relationship and European integration.

Presently, Ziener is a professor of journalism at the University of Applied Sciences in Berlin (HMKW). He teaches political theories and economics, mass media, journalistic writing, and the history of the press.

Ziener is also a liaison lecturer at the Heinrich-Böll-Stiftung. Further, he contributes as a journalist to The Straits Times the Neue Zürcher Zeitung, and Deutschlandradio/Deutschlandfunk. As a correspondent for Handelsblatt, he reported from the Middle East, Moscow, and Washington. At The Financial Times Deutschland he was head of the foreign desk.

Originally from Darmstadt, Ziener obtained his Ph.D.in politics at the Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, examining financial crises and reforms in Poland. He also spent time at Duke University through a GMF fellowship for foreign journalists.

Ziener will be with GMF in Washington, DC from September 2021 to January 2022. During his Helmut Schmidt Fellowship, Ziener will examine the interplay between political and economic interests within Germany’s foreign policy, and its effect on Germany’s relationship with the United States. He will also take the role of China and Russia into the equation and analyze what a German position within this constellation might look like.

GMF strengthens transatlantic cooperation on regional, national, and global challenges and opportunities in the spirit of the Marshall Plan. As a transatlantic public policy institute, it contributes research and analysis as well as convenes leaders on transatlantic issues relevant to policymakers. GMF offers rising leaders the opportunity to develop their skills and networks through transatlantic exchange, and it supports civil society in the Balkans and Black Sea regions by fostering democratic initiatives, rule of law, and regional cooperation.

The ZEIT-Stiftung Ebelin und Gerd Bucerius is inspired by Hamburg’s liberal spirit and Gerd Bucerius’ open-minded way of thinking. The foundation supports research and scholarship, art and culture, as well as education and training. It also initiates debates on political and social topics and provides forums for digital development. The ZEIT-Stiftung promotes innovation in higher education and founded in 2000 the first private law school in Germany, the Bucerius Law School. The Bucerius Kunst Forum was established in 2002 as the flagship for the foundation’s investment in art and culture. The scholarship program Beyond Borders contributes to humanities and social sciences and focuses on borders and boundaries in past and present times. The Free Media Awards support independent media and courageous journalists in Eastern Europe. At the Bucerius Summer School on Global Governance, the ZEIT-Stiftung brings together young leaders from a variety of fields to address key issues in global governance. Read more at www.zeit-stiftung.de.