Annett Gräfe-Geusch
Vita
Since 04/2025 Research Assistant (Postdoc), Intercultural and Comparative Education, Helmut-Schmidt-University, Hamburg, Germany
Since 10/2021 Research Associate (Postdoc), German Center for Integration and Migration Research (DeZIM e.V.), Berlin, Germany
“Diversity in the Federal Administration” in cooperation with Citizens for Europe and zedela, funded by the BMFSFJ (project management: Prof. Dr. Sabrina Zajak; scientific management DeZIM: Annett Gräfe-Geusch) 2021-2023
“Diversity Foundations: Hurdles and opportunities for a diversity-oriented foundation system” in cooperation with the Deutschlandstiftung Integration, funded by Robert Bosch Stiftung, Stiftung Mercator, Zeit Stiftung Bucerius, Deutsche Postcode Lotterie, Fritz Henkel Stiftung (co-project management) 2024-2026
04/2020 – 09/2020 Consultant, Polarization and Extremism Research and Innovation Lab, American University, Washington, DC, USA
“German-American Interventions“, funded by the Rosa Luxemburg Foundation (project management: Prof. Dr. Cynthia Miller-Idriss; scientific management of the German sub-project: Annett Gräfe-Geusch)
01/2013 – 01/2018 Research Assistant, American University, Washington, DC, USA
“The Extreme Gone Mainstream“, funded by the Spencer Foundation (project management: Prof. Dr. Cynthia Miller-Idriss)
01/2014 – 05/2015 Research Assistant, New York University, NY, USA
“Pakistan Youth Aspiration“, funded by USIP (project management: Prof. Dr. Dana Burde)
01/2014 – 05/2015 Social Justice Training Officer and Head of Intergroup Dialogue, New York University, NY, USA
(NYU Center for Multicultural Education and Programming, Wagner Graduate School of Public Service)
09/2013 – 05/2015 Teaching Assistant and Grader, New York University, NY, USA (Department of Applied Statistics, Social Sciences and Humanities)
08/2012 – 01/2013 Program Assistant for Steinhardt Global Honors Seminar “Terrorism, Extremism and Education”, New York University, NY,
01/2011 – 05/2012 Adjunct Faculty for German as a Foreign Language, Drew University, Madison, NJ, USA and Montclair State University, Montclair, NJ, USA
Scientific qualifications
09/2012 – 05/ 2020 PhD International Education (focus on social sciences); New York University, New York, NY, USA
Title: “Teaching Ethics for Peace and Integration: Ethics Teachers and the Question of Diversity in Berlin’s Secondary Schools” (Supervisors: Prof. Dr. Dana Burde, Prof. Dr. Cynthia Miller-Idriss, Prof. Dr. James Fraser)
Honorable Mention (2nd place) 2020 Steinhardt Outstanding Dissertation Award
09/2008 – 05/2010 Master of Arts in German; University of Missouri – Columbia in Columbia, MO, USA
10/2005 – 08/2008 Bachelor of Arts (equivalent) English/ American Studies, German as a Foreign and Second Language, Educational Science; Friedrich Schiller University Jena, Germany
Memberships
Council for European Studies (CES)
Comparative and International Education Society (CIES)
Management and advisory activities
Member Publication Working Group, Council for European Studies, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
Co-Chair, CES Radicalization and Violence Research Network, Council for European Studies, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
Gender Equality Officer, German Center for Integration and Migration Research (DeZIM e.V.), Berlin, Germany
Co-Communication Officer, CIES Globalization and Education Special Interest Group, Comparative and International Education Society, USA
Expert activities (peer review)
Tertium Comperationis; Teachers and Teaching; Ethnic and Migration Studies; Springer Education; Qualitative Social Research (FQS); On_Education; International Journal of Politics, Culture, and Society; Federal Program “Demkratie leben!” (BMFSFJ)
Research projects
2024-2026: “Diversity Foundations: Hurdles and opportunities for a diversity-oriented foundation system” (Vis)in cooperation with Deutschlandstiftung Integration, funded by Robert Bosch Stiftung, Stiftung Mercator, Zeit Stiftung Bucerius, Deutsche Postcode Lotterie, Fritz Henkel Stiftung (co-project management)
2021-2023: “Diversity in the Federal Administration” (DiBu), funded by the BMFSFJ (scientific director DeZIM: Annett Gräfe-Geusch)
2020-2021: “German-American Interventions“, funded by the Rosa Luxemburg Foundation (scientific director of the German sub-project: Annett Gräfe-Geusch)
2013-2018: “The Extreme Gone Mainstream“, funded by the Spencer Foundation (research associate)
2014-2015: “Pakistan Youth Aspiration“, funded by USIP (Research Associate)
Awards
Prices
2021 Inaugural Council of European Studies Radicalization and Violence Early Career Researcher Best Paper Prize, USA
2021 Inaugural Elisabeth Sherman Swing Award (Best Conference Paper), Comparative and International Education Society, USA
2020 Honorable Mention (2nd place) ” Steinhardt Outstanding Dissertation Award”
Scholarships
2023/24 Mentee BR50 and Perrett Laver Mentoring Program
2020 Research Fellow Georg Eckert Institute, Braunschweig, Germany
2019 Scholarship holder Georg Arnhold Summer School at the Georg Eckert Institute, Braunschweig, Germany
2017 Comparative International Education Society Merit Grant
2017 Shearwater Foundation Grant
2017 New York University Global Research Initiative Fellow Berlin, Germany
New York University Global Research Initiative Fellow Berlin, Germany
2015 Research Fellow, Steinhardt Doctoral Student Scholarship
2015 Shearwater Foundation Grant for Dissertation Research
2014 New York University Student Senators Council Conference Funding
2012 Doctoral Fellow, Steinhardt Doctoral Student Fellowship (3 years)
Publications
Peer Reviewed Journal Article:
Gräfe-Geusch, A.; Best, F.; Kuschel, I. (submitted). The informative value of the migration background in discrimination in the labor context – limits and alternatives of the category in labor market research. WSI Communications of the Hans Böckler Foundation. (invited contribution)
Zajak, S.; Gräfe-Geusch, A.; Römer, F. (submitted). Potentials and limitations of discrimination-sensitive diversity surveys in organizations using the example of public administration. Journal of Diversity Research and Management.
Graefe-Geusch, A. (2024). Educational Practice in Germany between Racism and Far-Right Ideologies. On Education. Journal for Research and Debate, 7(20).
https://doi.org/10.17899/on_ed.2024.20.6
Graefe-Geusch, A. (2020). “When the Global comes crashing in – A Chance for GCE? Reflections on teaching (about) refugees in Berlin’ Ethics Instruction.” Tertium Comparationis: Journal for International and Intercultural Comparative Education, 26 (2), pp. 122-130
Monograph:
Graefe-Geusch, A. (forthcoming, fall 2025). Aiming for Diversity? Inclusive and Exclusive Logics of Ethno-Religious Diversity in Berlin’s Secondary Schools. Barbara Budrich Publishing House. (monograph)
Collective volume chapter:
Gräfe-Geusch, A., Zajak, S. (Submitted). What justice and for whom? Diversity and anti-discrimination as central conflicts of justice in organizations. Yearbook of the DGfE Section Organizational Pedagogy.
Gräfe-Geusch, A. and Sdunzik, J. (2025). Diversity, but how? Fields of action for diversity-oriented organizational development. In: Sabrina Zajak and Elias Steinhilper (eds.): Consensus and conflict in the post-migrant society. Transcript.
Gräfe-Geusch, A.; Arnu, H.; Zajak, S. (2024). How does diversity get into office? Democracy promotion in the federal administration as a process. In: Seyran Bostanci, Ebtisam Ramadan, Yvonne Albrecht (eds.): Conflicts about diversity? Democracy promotion and anti-discrimination policy in the post-migrant society.
Gräfe-Geusch, A. and Okroi, J. (2024). Education and integration: the importance of incorporating refugee youths’ agency and perception. In: Marcus Otto and Tania Saeed (eds.). Critical Perspectives on Integration in Education: Grassroots Narratives from Multiregional Settings (Book Series: Peace and Human Rights Education). Bloomsbury. (ISBN: 9781350452343)
Graefe-Geusch, A. (2023). Colonial histories and their impact on religious education in Germany, Namibia, and Nigeria. In: James Fraser and Joanne Fraser-Pearce (Eds.). Bloomsbury Handbook of Schools and Religion (pp. 211-230). Bloomsbury Handbook.
Miller-Idriss, C. and Graefe-Geusch, A. (2023). “Fitting in, Standing Out: Ambivalence and Multivocality in Far Right Youth Style.” In: Weisskircher, M. (Ed). Contemporary Germany and the Fourth Wave of Far-Right Politics: From the Streets to Parliament (pp. 76-90). Routledge: London and New York.
Miller-Idriss, C. and Graefe-Geusch, A. (2020). “Studying the Peripheries: Iconography and Embodiment in Far Right Youth Culture”. In: Stephen Ash, Joel Busher, Graham Macklin, Aaron Winter (Eds.). Researching the Far Right. Theory, Method and Practice (323-335). Routledge: London and New York.
Gräfe-Geusch, A. and C. Miller-Idriss (2019). ‘”The reputation remains yes”: Thor Steinar – historical development and significance of the brand for young people today.” Botsch, Gideon, Jan Raabe and Christoph Schulze (eds.). Rechtsrock: Aufstieg und Wandel neonazistischer Jugendkultur am Beispiel Brandenburgs (195-213). be.bra Verlag: Berlin
Book reviews:
Graefe-Geusch, A. (2022). “Education in radical uncertainty: transgression in theory and method, Stephen Carney and Ulla Ambrosius Madsen.” Comparative Education. 58 (4), 563-565. DOI: 10.1080/03050068.2022.2104497
Graefe-Geusch, A. (2022). “Europe in the Classroom: World Culture and Nation-Building in Post-Socialist Romania. By Simona Szakacs.” International Studies of Sociology of Education. 31 (4), 498-501. DOI: 10.1080/09620214.2021.1951329
Graefe-Geusch, A. (2019). “Collet, B. (2017). Migration, Religion, and Schooling in Liberal Democratic States. New York and London: Routledge.” Journal on Diaspora, Indigenous and Minority Education. 13 (2), 131-132.
Graefe-Geusch, A. (2019) “Sivasubramaniam, M., & Hayhoe, R. (Eds.) (2018). Religion and Education: comparative and international perspectives. Oxford: Symposium Books.” Forum of International Research in Education, 5 (1), 163-170.
Other formats/ gray literature:
Gräfe-Geusch, A., Best, F. (2025). Data set – Diversity in the federal administration: population survey. FDZ German Center for Integration and Migration Research (DeZIM). Berlin.
Gräfe-Geusch, A; Gharai, N.; Best, F.; Meksem, M.; Escobar, C. S. (2025): Diversity in the federal administration: population survey. Codebook (Version 1.0.0). German Center for Integration and Migration Research (DeZIM). Berlin.
Gräfe-Geusch, A.; Zajak, S.; Aalders, S.; Assad, C.; Bartsch, S. (2025). Potentials and Limitations of Discrimination-Sensitive Diversity Surveys in Organizations. Dossier, Institute for Foreign Cultural Relations (IFA).
Project group “DiBu” (2024). Diversity in the Federal Administration using the example of the Federal Ministry for Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth. DeZIM Project Report 11, Berlin: German Center for Integration and Migration Research (DeZIM).
Gräfe-Geusch, A.; Sdunzik, J. (2024). Diversity, but how? Diversity, but how? International and national best practice areas for diversity-oriented and anti-discriminatory organizational development. DeZIM Working Papers 2, Berlin: German Center for Integration and Migration Research (DeZIM).
Arnu, H., Zajak, S., Gräfe-Geusch, A. (2023). How does diversity get into office? Diversity design in the application process. DeZIM Project Report #06, German Center for Integration and Migration Research, Berlin, Germany.
Graefe-Geusch, A. (2020). Teaching Ethics for Peace and Integration: Ethics Teachers and the Question of Diversity in Berlin’s Secondary Schools. Ann Arbor, Michigan: ProQuest. (Doctoral dissertation)
Lectures, workshops and more:
Scientific lectures (selection):
Gräfe-Geusch, A.; Zajak, S. (2025). Presence, Knowledge and Perception of Diversity Programs in Organizations. Contested Diversity in Organizations: Rethinking Scales, Measurements and Approaches for Organizational Change. DeZIM Research Workshop. German Center for Integration and Migration Research, Berlin, Germany.
Gräfe-Geusch, A. (2025). The far-right in Educational Media – State of the Art in formal Education, Current Theory and Future Needs. Colloquium, Leibnitz Institute for Educational Media – Georg Eckert Institute. Braunschweig, Germany. (invited lecture)
Graefe-Geusch, A.; Zajak, S. (2024). Representation Paradox? – Invisible despite representation. DeZIM Conference 2024, Mannheim, Germany.
Graefe-Geusch, A. (2024). Racism, The Far-Right and Education: Teachers’ Efforts in Preventing Violent Extremism. Council for European Studies Annual Conference, Lyon, France.
Graefe-Geusch, A. (2023). “Understanding Diversity: How Diversity in the Workplace is Negotiated by National Public Administration Employees”, Council for European Studies Annual Conference, Reykjavik, Iceland
Gräfe-Geusch, A. (2023). “Ethnografische Ansätze in der Vergleichenden Erziehungswissenschaft”, Helmut-Schmidt-Universität/ Universität der Bundeswehr, Professur für Erziehungswissenschaft, insbesondere interkulturelle und vergleichende Bildungsforschung, Hamburg, Germany. (Guest lecture)
Graefe-Geusch, A.; Zajak, S.; Wölfer, R. (2022). “Measuring Diversity in Germany’s Public Administration Workforce: A qualitative Exploration of diverse Identities”, European Consortium for Political Research (ECPR) General Conference, Innsbruck, Austria.
Graefe-Geusch, A. (2022). “When Fear makes Policy: The Role of Race in Education Policy Making in Berlin”, Council for European Studies Annual Conference, Lisbon, Portugal.
Graefe-Geusch, A. (2021). “Complicated transformations: The historical development from Foreigner Class to Welcome Class and its implications for refugee education in Berlin (Germany)”, Comparative and International Education Society Annual Conference, Virtual. (Winner of the Elisabether Sherman Swing Prize).
Graefe-Geusch, A. (2021). “Educating for diversity and multiculturalism: A Case Study of Berlin, Germany.” Diversity and Education (masters), Dr. Jo Kelcey, Lebanese American University, Beirut, Lebanon. (invited lecture)
Graefe-Geusch, A. (2020) “Case Study Research in Educational Settings”. Qualitative Methods Seminar (undergraduate), Dr. Simona Szakacs-Behling, Georg-August University, Göttingen, Germany. (guest lecture)
Graefe-Geusch, A. (2020/2021). “The Logic of Contact Theory – Countering Violent Right Wing Extremism in Berlin’s Secondary Schools.” Council for European Studies Annual Conference, Reykjavík, Iceland (Winner of the CES Radicalization and Violence Research Network Best Paper Prize; postponed from 2020 to 6/21 due to COVID-19)
Graefe-Geusch, A. (2020). “In the Crisis Moment – Welcome Classes, Anxieties and the Question of Refugee Integration in Berlin’s Secondary Schools.” Comparative International Education Society Annual Conference, Miami, USA (canceled due to COVID-19)
Graefe-Geusch, A. (2019). “Teaching for Peace and Integration: Logics of Diversity in Berlin’s Ethics Teaching.” Research Seminar in International Education, Humboldt University, Berlin, Germany.
Graefe-Geusch, A. (2019). “Educational Estrangement: Teaching Citizenship and Global Citizenship Education in Berlin’s Ethics Instruction.” 6th Georg Arnhold International Summer School, Braunschweig, Germany.
Keynote speeches, panel discussions, moderations and keynotes:
Gräfe-Geusch, A.; Sdunzik, J. (2025). A recipe for diversity? Fields of action for organizational development. Diversity Expert Exchange: Organizational Development in Hospitals, Empowerment for Diversity: Alliance for Equal Opportunities in Healthcare. Charité University Medicine Berlin, Germany. (invited keynote)
Moderation: DeZIM Digital Lunch Discussion (16.4.2025). Working Against Radicalization and Extremism: Evidence-Based Intervention Approaches and Research. (39 participants
Gräfe-Geusch, Zajak S. (2024). Diversity in the federal administration using the example of the Federal Ministry for Family Affairs, Senior Citizens, Women and Youth. Meeting of the Interministerial Working Group of Equal Opportunities Officers of the supreme federal authorities, Federal Press Office, Berlin. (invited lecture)
Gräfe-Geusch, A. (2024). Increasing diversity in office: Core results of the scientific monitoring of the DSI project “Diversity in office”. Digital lunch break “Wie kommt die Vielfalt ins Amt?”, Deutschlandstiftung Integration, Berlin, Germany. (invited lecture)
Panel discussion: How important is ICE/diversity in the day-to-day work of top decision-makers? (2024). Specialist event “Success factor intercultural openness – NRW strengthens diversity”. Ministry for Children, Youth, Family, Equality, Refugees and Integration of the State of North Rhine-Westphalia. Dortmund, Germany.
Gräfe-Geusch, A. (2024). Opportunities and hurdles for more diversity in public organizations: Strengthening discrimination-critical and diversity-oriented organizational development. Specialist event “Success factor intercultural opening – NRW strengthens diversity”. Ministry for Children, Youth, Family, Equality, Refugees and Integration of the State of North Rhine-Westphalia. Dortmund, Germany. (invited lecture)
Gräfe-Geusch, A. (2023). Female, diverse, mother? Opportunities and hurdles for more diversity in the public service. Keynote at “Migrantinnen* im Öffentlichen Dienst: Chancen, Hürden und Perspektive? Organized by Landesfrauenrat Thüringen, MigraNetz and MigraFem, Erfurt, Germany. (invited keynote)
Gräfe-Geusch, A. (2023). “Personnel development in diverse times: Shaping diversity in the work context”, Retreat Verbund Regionaler Diakonischer Werke in RWL, Düsseldorf, Germany. (invited lecture)
Arnu, H.; Zajak, S.; Gräfe-Geusch, A. (2023). “How does diversity get into office? Diversity design in the application process – Presentation of the project report.” Event for the publication of the research report in the project “Vielfalt im Amt”, Deutschland Stiftung Integration, Federal Press Office, Berlin, Germany.
Workshops:
Gräfe-Geusch, A., Zajak, S. (2025). Contested Diversity in Organizations: Rethinking Scales, Measurements and Approaches for Organizational Change. DeZIM Research Workshop. German Center for Integration and Migration Research, Berlin, Germany. (60 participants) https://www.dezim-institut.de/veranstaltungen/veranstaltungen-detail/dezim-research-workshop/
Gräfe-Geusch, A., Sdunzik, J. (2024). Discrimination-critical organizational development: National and international strategies. Digital workshop as part of a series of events on discrimination-critical organizational development of the Migration Lab, University of Hildesheim, Hildesheim, Germany. (60 participants)
Gräfe-Geusch, A., Dederichs, M., Scheiner, A. (2024). Needs assessment as part of the scientific monitoring (especially core module 1: interviewing potential applicants). Digital workshop for questionnaire development in the project “Vielfalt stiften”, Deutschlandstiftung Integration, Berlin, Germany. (15 participants)
Gräfe-Geusch, A. (2024). How can diversity be brought into the organization? Workshop at 5th Symposium Klischeefrei, Initiative Klischeefrei, Berlin, Germany. (30 participants)
Gräfe-Geusch, A. (2024). How can diversity be brought into the office? Workshop at 5th Symposium Klischeefrei, Initiative Klischeefrei, Berlin, Germany. (25 participants)
Gräfe-Geusch, A. (2023). “Evidence-based diversity monitoring.” Workshop as part of the focus conference: Transfer & organizational development in regulatory structures. Scientific support by the expert group “Democracy, Transfer, Policy Advice”, DeZIM Institute, Berlin, Germany. (20 participants)
Media presence:
Sterk, Chiara (20.03.2025). Bundestag election 2025: Male, white, academic – but who is missing in the Bundestag? Stuttgarter Zeitung. (Commentary and interview) https://www.stuttgarter-zeitung.de/inhalt.bundestagswahl-2025-maennlich-weiss-akademisch-aber-wer-fehlt-im-bundestag.70401e42-0025-4ea0-92b6-420176e77d27.html
Letzte Änderung: 29. April 2025