"I am a German qualified lawyer. I chose to study law because my 18-year-old self believed this would teach me how society works. Shortly after the German reunification mastering law seemed quite empowering to me. While most of the law studies are about the intricacies of statutory law, there have been moments I found enlightening. For one the realisation that even if a catalogue of human rights is a mere dozen pages long the interpretation and literature about human rights fill many shelves in the library.

During my studies, I developed a profound interest in the nascent field of digital and data law. I obtained a LL.M. in IT & Telecommunications Law from the University of Strathclyde in Glasgow and a Dr. iuris degree from Martin Luther University, Halle-Wittenberg. I could put my PhD research to good use as a trainee at the European Commission in Brussels, a fellow at the Electronic Privacy Information Center at Washington D.C. and I worked for the Berlin Commissioner for Data Protection and Freedom of Information.

Following a short stint as a corporate lawyer, my curiosity led me to an academic career. My first appointment at Central European University in Budapest taught me how respect for the rule of law and the separation of powers underpin the constitutional order of a democratic society. Being part of a public policy department, made me appreciate the multidisciplinary outlook on policy issues and concepts external to the law.

With an EU mobility grant I eventually moved to Amsterdam and found my intellectual home at the Institute for Information Law (IViR). At Amsterdam Law School, I am the Director of the Academic Excellence Track (AcET) and I also teach in the new Advanced Master in Technology Governance a course on “Fundamentals of Digital Technology and Law”. I frequently provide expertise to the European Commission and the Parliament, ENISA, the Council of Europe, the OECD, national governments as well as civil society organisations.

In my research domain, I can observe in real-time how legal institutions evolve in line with societal needs but certainly not devoid of politics, psychology, and economics. Just think of the expansive EU legal framework to govern data and digital technologies, including Artificial Intelligence. Beyond the digital transformation, tackling today’s complex societal challenges requires a solid grasp of the law, multi-disciplinary competences, and mature professional ethics. The PPLE Law Major is just a great launching pad for acquiring legal competences embedded in a multi-disciplinary comprehension of law."