Prof. Dr. Ursula Schröder

Prof. Dr. Ursula Schröder has been Director of the Institute for Peace Research and Security Policy (IFSH) and Professor of Political Science at the University of Hamburg since 2017. Previously, she was Professor of International Security at Freie Universität Berlin. Currently, she leads projects at IFSH and University of Hamburg that address the nexus between security and climate futures; democratic promises of security in a new era; international policing and security sector reform; and participatory research on security policy. She studied at Humboldt University and Freie Universität Berlin, as well as at the University of Wales, Aberystwyth (UK), and completed her doctorate at the European University Institute in Florence.

Ursula Schröder’s research focuses on shaping peace and security orders in a world of multiple crises. Her current research topics include:

• Future of democratic security promises in a new era
• Climate futures and security
• Protection, preparedness and adaptation strategies
• Peacebuilding, state-building, and security sector reform
• Conscription, disaster response, and civil protection
• European security and European security architectures

• DFG-Cluster of Excellence „Climate, Climatic Change, and Society“, Project B3 “Conflict and Cooperation at the Climate-Security Nexus“

• Member of the Board of Trustees for the German Thesis Award (Körber Foundation)
• Member of the Board of Trustees for the Educational Institute of the German Armed Forces Association
• Member of the Foundation Council of the German Foundation for Peace Research (DSF)
• ‚Vertrauensdozentin‘, Friedrich-Ebert-Foundation
• Member of Academic Board, Institute for Theology and Peace, Hamburg
• Member of Board of Trustees, Helmut- and Loki-Schmidt-Foundation, Hamburg
• Member of Board of Trustees, Europa-Kolleg Hamburg
• Co-editor of yearly Friedensgutachten (Peace Report)
• Member of Board of Trustees, ‘Hessischer Friedenspreis’
• Director of Studies, MA Peace and Security Studies, IFSH and University of Hamburg

• Rothe, Delf, Christine Hentschel, Ursula Schröder. 2025. Recomposing the Climate-Security Nexus: A Conceptual Introduction. Geoforum 159 (February): 104195. DOI: 10.1016/j.geoforum.2024.104195.
• Benner, Ann-Kathrin, Hendrik Hegemann, Holger Niemann, Delf Rothe, Ursula Schröder. 2025. Doing Peace! A Framework for Participatory Research in Peace and Security Studies. Research Report 015. Hamburg: IFSH. DOI: 10.25592/ifsh-research-report-015.
• Geis, Anna, Ursula Schröder. 2024. The Russian War Against Ukraine and Its Implications for the Future of Liberal Interventionism. Politics and Governance 12: Article 7348. DOI: 10.17645/pag.7348.
• Niemann, Holger, Ursula Schröder, Hrsg. 2024. European Security in Times of Crisis: Perspectives from Peace Research. Research Report 014. Hamburg: IFSH. DOI: 10.25592/ifsh-research-report-014.
• Friesendorf, Cornelius, Philipp Neubauer, Ursula Schröder. 2023.  Implementing CSDP Missions: The Daily Travails of Police Experts. European Security DOI: 10.1080/09662839.2023.2232138.