Helmut Schmidt Fellowships 2023 Awarded to Dr. Barbara Kunz, Claudia Elena Salvador, and Ansgar Baums

WASHINGTON, DC/BERLIN – The German Marshall Fund of the United States (GMF) and the ZEIT-Stiftung Ebelin und Gerd Bucerius are pleased to announce that the Helmut Schmidt Fellowship 2023 has been awarded to Dr. Barbara Kunz, a senior researcher on European security, to Claudia Elena Salvador, an environmental and climate migration policy expert, and to Ansgar Baums, a geotech risk analyst for corporations. This prestigious position commemorates the life, service, and legacy of global statesman Helmut Schmidt by supporting the work of fellows who have demonstrated excellence in the academic and policy spheres through their commitment to advancing the transatlantic relationship and European integration.

Kunz will be joining GMF in Washington DC in March 2023. Kunz is a senior researcher at the Institute for Peace Research and Security Policy at the University of Hamburg, with a focus on European security. Previously, Kunz was seconded as an external expert to the German government’s Policy Planning Unit where she was a member of the task force on Germany’s first National Security Strategy. Kunz has worked in Germany, France and Sweden, inter alia at Institut Français des Relations Internationales in Paris and the Center for Baltic and East European Studies in Stockholm. Kunz holds a PhD in political science from Stockholm University, as well as a M.A. in political science from Sciences Po. During her Helmut Schmidt Fellowship, Kunz will research the future of US security guarantees for Europe.

Salvador will be joining GMF in Berlin in April 2023. Salvador is the chief of staff at the Foundation of Economic Trends, where she works with economic and social theorist Jeremy Rifkin. Salvador researches climate change and geopolitical energy policy to support the office’s insights to government officials and corporations on how best to transition to green, low-carbon economy. Salvador earned an M.A. in political science with a concentration in European Union policy studies from James Madison University. She received a B.A. in international studies and a B.S. in anthropology from Loyola University Chicago. During her Helmut Schmidt Fellowship, Salvador will examine the development of socially inclusive policies addressing climate refugees in the US and EU. 

Baums will be joining GMF in Washington DC in January 2024. Currently, Baums works on government relations for Zoom Video Communications. Previously, Baums held various positions within the corporate world, most recently at HP as the Head of the Global Strategy Program and at Hewlett Packard as Head of Government Relations Europe / Middle East / Africa. In 2017, Baums was a Marshall Memorial Fellow with GMF. Baums holds a M.Sc. with distinction in international strategy and economics from the University of St. Andrews and a postgraduate diploma in political science from the Free University Berlin. During his Helmut Schmidt Fellowship, Baums will conduct research on the geotechnological riff within the transatlantic alliance and the potential danger of having separate US and EU geotech approaches vis-a-vis China.

Last March, GMF and the ZEIT-Stiftung Ebelin und Gerd Bucerius announced the 2022 Helmut Schmidt Fellows. Unfortunately, Verena Ringler was not able to fulfill her fellowship with GMF in Washington DC. While we regret that Ms. Ringler was not be able to conduct her proposed research on green transition and opportunities for transatlantic climate leadership, we remain convinced of the importance of her research topic and wish her the best in her future endeavors. 

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 the liberal spirit of Hamburg and the open-minded thinking of Gerd Bucerius. The foundation supports research and scholarship, art and culture, and 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 in 2000 founded Bucerius Law School, the first private law school in Germany. 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.