Contact
Tel.: +49 6341 280-38554
a.groppe[at]rptu.de
Academic and Professional Activities
| Period | Position |
|---|---|
| Since October 2023 | Institute for Global Negotiation, Zurich, Switzerland, Fellow & Project Manager |
| December 2020 – October 2024 | FEIN, Frankfurt, Germany, Freelance Consultant and Researcher |
| January 2024 – July 2024 | Engagement Global, Germany, Seminar Leader for the ASA Project Cycle 2024 |
| Nov. 2023 – Nov. 2024 | Ecumenical Support Association, Ludwigshafen, Contract Worker in Youth Social Work |
| 01/2023 – 11/2023 | Kolping Network for Refugees, Germany, Freelancer |
| Oct. 2020 – June 2022 | Kent Union, University of Kent, Canterbury, UK, Postgraduate Network Chair (elected on a volunteer basis) |
| June 2020 – September 2020 | Peace Research Institute Frankfurt (PRIF), Frankfurt, Germany, Research Intern |
| 08/2017 – 07/2024 | Kolping Youth Community Services, Germany, Volunteer Seminar and Workshop Leader |
Education
| Period | Degree |
|---|---|
| 09/2025 – 01/2026 | Research Fellowship, Department of War Studies, King’s College, London, UK |
| Since 02/2024 | Ph.D. Candidate – Conflict Studies & Military Sociology (EQF 8), UCLouvain, Mons, Belgium |
| August 2020 – September 2022 | M.A. in Security and Terrorism (with honors), University of Kent, Canterbury, UK |
| October 2017 – August 2020 | B.A. in Political Science (Grade: 1.9), Philipps University of Marburg, Germany |
Awards & Scholarships
| Date | Award |
|---|---|
| 02/2026 | Blankenburg Scholarship – Tönissteiner Kreis |
| 10/2024 | Doctoral Scholarship – German Business Foundation |
| 11/2022 | Global Society Prize (Best Master’s Thesis) – Faculty of Politics and International Relations, University of Kent |
| 02/2022 | Global Skills Award Gold – Graduate and Researcher College, University of Kent |
| 10/2019 | Klaus Murmann Scholarship – German Business Foundation |
Dissertation Project
“Soldiers Fighting for Peace? How Former Peacekeeping Soldiers Make Sense of and Enact the FIB’s Offensive Use of Force Mandate in the DR Congo” – This dissertation examines the individual and collective resilience of former peacekeeping soldiers in dealing with conflicting mandates and focuses on the Force Intervention Brigade (FIB) of the UN mission in the DR Congo. Methodologically, the study draws on grounded theory, participatory research methods, guided interviews, and focus groups; data collection is conducted in collaboration with a co-researcher (a former soldier in the Malawi Defense Forces) through iterative feedback loops. As part of the doctoral project, a research stay was completed at King’s College London.
Research Focuses
- Conflict transformation, peace missions, and peacekeeping
- Resilience in organizations and conflict contexts
- Feminist peace and development cooperation
- Systemic and networked thinking, organizational analysis
- Negotiation, mediation, and the role of third parties in conflict processes
- Regional Focus: East, Central, and West Africa (particularly the Democratic Republic of the Congo, Sierra Leone, and Malawi)
Methods
- Qualitative social research (structured interviews, focus groups, grounded theory, participatory approaches, qualitative content analysis)
- Basic knowledge of quantitative methods and mixed-methods designs
- Analysis software: NVivo, Dedoose, Obsidian, EndNote
Event Organization
02/2026: Chair, “When Reason Meets Its Limits,” IGN e-Conference (online),
10/2024 – 09/2025: Global Negotiation Conference, IGN, Zurich – Leadership and overall coordination of the five-day conference on deep-sea mining, including an integrated negotiation simulation with over 35 participants from five continents; Fundraising of over 30,000 CHF.
February 2025: Chair of “Negotiating with Strength and Resilience in High-Stakes Environments,” IGN e-Conference (online), February 2025 – Host.
01/2024 – 07/2024: Seminar leader for the ASA project cycle: Group Processes, Collaboration, and Intercultural Competencies (leading a team of 8), Engagement Global
02/2024: Co-Organizer & Chair of “Building Peace Together: Feminism, Religion, and the Arts,” IGN e-Conference (online).
Presentations
10/2026: Paper Presentation: “Disruptive Mandates and Everyday Resilience: Former Peacekeepers’ Experiences of Offensive Force in the UN Force Intervention Brigade,” Conflict Research Society – Annual Conference, Glasgow.
04/2026: Presentation of dissertation project: Doctoral Retreat, King’s College London.
Workshops & Knowledge Transfer
12/2020 – 10/2024: Design and implementation of workshops for external organizations as part of my work at FEIN, including for the Heinrich Böll Foundation, the Academy for Conflict Transformation, and Agiamondo.
08/2017 – 07/2024: Facilitation of workshops and seminars on transcultural communication, global learning, and critical analysis of racism (seminars for youth and adults), Kolping Youth Community Services & Kolping Network for Refugees
01/2023 – 11/2023: Design and facilitation of 12 workshops on discrimination, inclusion, and social cohesion for the Kolping Network for Refugees (target audience: professionals in refugee and social work).
03/2023 – 09/2023: International Workcamp in San Diego (four weeks, seven participants; focus on intercultural learning, group processes, and social justice), Kolping Youth Community Services
Essays; Journal Articles
Steinbach, L. (forthcoming): Disruptive Mandates and Everyday Resilience: Former Peacekeepers' Experiences of Offensive Force in the UN Force Intervention Brigade.
Steinbach, L. (2025): Review: “Alternative Perspectives on Peacebuilding.” Palgrave Macmillan.
Steinbach, L. (2024): How Local Resistance against MONUSCO Has Influenced the Peacekeeping Discourse in the DR Congo. Peace Academy in the Palatinate region.
Ruppel, S.; Steinbach, L. (2023): Hopes and Dreams: Youth Activities in Civil Society Organizations in Post-Conflict Countries. In: Journal of Youth Studies.
Sander, A.; Scheyer, V.; Steinbach, L.; Vindas, K. (2023): Plan International Girls’ Report 2023.
Steinbach, L. (2021): Time for revisions: Local ownership in the UN mission in the DR Congo. PRIF Blog.
Miscellaneous (Blog/Newspaper)
Steinbach, L. ( 2024): How Protests against MONUSCO Shape the Discourse Around Peacekeeping in the DR Congo. Peace Academy Blog. (July 23, 2024)