Team

Dr. Carolyn Moser is the mastermind and visionary leader of ENSURE. With an international background in law and political science (Sciences Po Paris, the Fletcher School of Law and Diplomacy at Tufts University and Utrecht University), Carolyn is an expert on European governance of security and defence. Her dynamic, solution-oriented mindset and comprehensive knowledge ensure she’s always one step ahead. Carolyn combines work, family and friendship with passionate dedication, all while being able to seamlessly switch from one language to another. She advocates for the personal growth of the members of her team, defending her proteges with the determination of a lioness. Underneath her strong and confident demeanour lies a warm and understanding personality, always ready to lend an ear to her colleagues or to look for a new perspective.

Rocío Bargon Sánchez is a polyglot multitasker who has a talent for finding solutions to all sorts of seemingly unsolvable problems. She works quickly, reliably, accurately and always with a smile. Her team coordination skills are only surpassed by those of her volleyball serves and her cooking talent. Rocío is a warm-hearted person who is a pleasure to work with, and knows how to keep her cool in difficult situations. She is a trained translator who holds a double masters degree from Johannes Gutenberg University and the University of Burgundy. She has extensive work experience, including as a trainee at the translation department of the European Commission. You can contact her in English, French, German, or Spanish. With her lingual, cultural and empathetic competences, she will definitely understand your concerns.

Emilia has been part of the ENSURE team since September 2024, bringing her enthusiasm for European topics and social media. When she is not immersed in work, she enjoys jogging along her favourite routes and experimenting in the kitchen, trying out recipes from various cuisines ranging from indian to african delicacies. Emilia is also actively involved in youth press work as part of the extended board. This involvement has taken her on exciting trips to Brussels and Luxembourg, blending her love for travelling with her interest in European topics. If she could change one thing in the world, it would be dismantling patriarchal structures to reduce inequality and violence.

Since joining ENSURE as a student assistant, Sandra has brought her adventurous spirit to the team. It shines in her love for martial arts and takes her above and below the surface – from hiking mountains to diving among coral reefs and shipwrecks – causing her commitment to ocean rights. Studying law at Heidelberg University since 2020, she deepened her focus on public international law and security during semesters abroad at the universities of Jerusalem and Wellington, complemented by hands-on experiences at the Bavarian Representation to the EU in Brussels and volunteer work for Tibet in Northern India. A passionate traveller, Sandra approaches the web of global relations and conflict resolution with curiosity and energy. When she is not supporting the team, you might find her planning her next backpacking adventure.

Laurids Hempel, who grew up on the German coast in Kiel and studied one year abroad in Southern France, is a doctoral candidate in European law. He recently graduated in law from the University of Heidelberg with one of Heidelberg’s best state exams. Following his fascination for politics and public law, he worked for the Schleswig-Holsteinischer Landtag (State Parliament of Schleswig-Holstein). Apart from being a big fan of the German football club Holstein Kiel, Laurids has a passion and excellent knowledge of constitutional law, European law and international law. With this expertise, he makes an invaluable contribution to ENSURE.

Meet Kerttuli Lingenfelter: a passionate postdoctoral researcher with expertise in international criminal law. Kerttuli has pursued her interests in international and European law and politics at Tallinn University and the European University Institute, where she defended her PhD thesis on the legal and affective dimensions of international criminalization. When Kerttuli is not immersed in international law, literature, and feminist theory, she channels her creativity into crafting – her knitting needles are never far away. With her spirited enthusiasm, Kerttuli effortlessly encourages those around her.

Without Finn Preiß, who has been a research assistant for the group since 2022, the lunches together would certainly be less fun, as he always has an entertaining story to tell. Finn studies law at the University of Heidelberg, and has followed his interests in international law, constitutional law and environmental law also through study visits to the University of Paris 1 Panthéon-Sorbonne and the Hague Academy of International Law and an internship at the German Ministry of Environment. He is also an outdoorsman; Finn enjoys an afternoon jogging through Paris for sightseeing and can easily tell you in detail about all the different trees and plants you may encounter during a hike. His enthusiasm for learning new things and overcoming challenges is inspiring!

Albert joined the ENSURE group as a student assistant in September 2024. Since he started studying law at the University of Heidelberg in 2023, free time is rare. He nevertheless finds the time to ride his racing bike or to play the piano. Apart from classical music, he leans towards jazz improvisation. As he is very interested in politics, he worked for MPs in the German parliament as well as the state parliament of Hamburg.

If he could change one thing in the world, it would be redistributing wealth as a promising starting point for greater justice, equality and environmental responsibility.

Christian Schultheiß was trained both in international law and political science. He holds a PhD and a MPhil in international relations from the University of Cambridge. Following an interdisciplinary approach, he has published in outlets for international relations as well as international law. Beyond the academic world, Christian’s expertise is also sought after by policy makers. Namely, he advised the European External Action service on a range of EU policy initiatives concerning maritime security and organised the two first EU-China expert conferences in the field. Outside of work, you will certainly not find another person being able to explain to you in detail the name and origin of any fish you may think of! Aside from that, his optimistic, easy-going and open personality also ensures that any conversation you may have with him will spark new ideas.

With her thoughtfulness and care for detail, Effi Spiegel makes an invaluable contribution to the team’s research. She doesn’t flaunt her cleverness, but is undoubtedly very talented. She is a law student at Heidelberg University, where she mainly focuses on European Economic Law. Effi is also our direct link to the EU bubble, in which she feels comfortable: having studied in Paris for one year and having undertaken several internships and study visits in institutions such as the European Court of Justice and the Permanent Representation of Germany to the EU, she easily navigates the meanderings of EU legislation and procedures (and as we know, there are many…). The question remains: which branch of EU law does she not take an interest in?

When she is not reading democratic theory or teaching constitutional law, the brilliant and bubbly Sofia Vandenbosch can often be found sharing lively stories and film recommendations over a coffee. Before bringing her unique joie de vivre to ENSURE, Sofia worked as a legal advisor at the Belgian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and defended her doctoral thesis on the Europeanisation of treaty-making power at UCLouvain. She has pursued her wide-ranging and interdisciplinary interests in law, human rights and European affairs through studies in Liège, Leuven, Ghent and Glasgow. Her commitment to academic inquiry and playful curiosity enrich the group and her work.