Our Partners

Susanne Schardt

–

–

studied Cultural Anthropology and European Ethnology, Historical Ethnology, and History of Arts at the Johann Wolfgang Goethe University in Frankfurt am Main. After finishing her studies in 1989 with her master thesis on “Übersetzen als interkulturelle Vermittlung” (Translation as Intercultural Intermediation), Susanne worked at the drug policy coordination office of the municipality of Frankfurt am Main from 1990 to 1993. There she was responsible for drug policy consultation for local authorities, among other issues. From 1993 to 2001 she was director of the European cities’ network “European Cities on Drug Policy (ECDP)”.

During her studies she worked as a TV moderator for “Schüler Express” and “Ferienkalender” at the ZDF and was trained as a film dubber in Berlin in 1986 and 1987. She worked as a freelance translator for films and screenplays in Berlin and Frankfurt. Between 2000 and 2002 Susanne was a freelance consultant for German NGOs and the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Technische Zusammenarbeit, GTZ (now Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit, GIZ) in Venezuela, India, and Ivory Coast. Since 2002 she is an author for “Verlag für die Deutsche Wirtschaft AG” and in 2006 for the “Gesellschaft für Wirtschaftsinformation & Co. OHG, GWI” on issues regarding team management and job satisfaction.

In 2001 she founded Realitäten Bureau and from December 2002 until September 2006 she was drug demand reduction expert for GIZ. Project consultations, studies, and training workshops have led Susanne Schardt to many countries on all continents.

Marina Rudyak

–

–

is an assistant professor at the Institute of Chinese Studies at Heidelberg University where she is lecturing on Chinese economic policy and international relations and working on her PhD dissertation on Chinese foreign aid and its role within the international development architecture. Prior to returning to academia in 2014, Marina was a long term policy advisor at the German Agency for International Cooperation (Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH) in Beijing. There she managed a programme on regional economic cooperation and integration between China and Central and East Asian transition economies, focusing on inclusive growth and cross-border trade facilitation.

She has also worked for GIZ in Bishkek and for the Friedrich-Ebert-Foundation in Shanghai. Marina grew up between the cultures of Russia and Germany, and is fluent in Russian, German, Chinese, and English. She studied at Heidelberg University and Shanghai International Studies University and holds an MA in Modern and Classical Chinese Studies and Public Law. In her free time, Marina is an ardent student of classical yoga, and teaches yoga and mindfulness in projects in her community.

Susan Koshy

–

–

Susan Koshy is a health economist by training with a strong leaning towards behavioural economics. Until 2009, Susan worked for national NGOs and international organizations, including GIZ and AusAid, on program management and research in health, education, natural resource management, rural livelihood, water supply, and environmental sanitation.

Since 2010 Susan is an entrepreneur-practitioner on innovation, systemic change, and transformational learning journeys for individuals, organizations, and communities in different contexts. She has also published various articles and the book I-Know-way-tion – Trailblazers in the Health Sector in India.

Susan is also the co-founder of a new start-up in India called Innohealth Systems. Their work is founded on the belief that profound change in any system or person can happen only when we change our ways of seeing, knowing, thinking, and doing. For real change in the world today, we have to change our world view.

Dr. Hans Steinmann

–

–

Dr. Hans Steinmann is a medical doctor and holds a master degree in Community Health and Health Management. After having worked in various positions in the German Health System for 9 years, he has gained wide field experience in Public Health through 28 years abroad in Africa and South Asia. He headed several large technical assistance programs in Nepal, India, and Pakistan on behalf of the German Development Cooperation. His expertise and interest is in the areas health sector reform with special emphasis on health systems development, health insurance, public-private partnerships, quality management, reproductive health, and social development.

He also has extensive experience in quality management, management, change processes, organizational development, and human resource management. He has a strong interest in innovation by design and, in particular, cross-fertilizing across industries and sectors. He is a certified trainer and coach on innovation management and processes for breakthrough thinking and has been trained in Theory U and Presencing, Design Thinking, Orbit-Shifting Innovation, dynamic facilitation, and Futures Thinking. He recently co-founded a new start-up in India called Innohealth Systems.

Jenn Weidman

–

–

is a peacebuilding professional with over 12 years’ experience working on capacity building programs in Thailand.  Her areas of specialty include facilitation and training design and delivery, reflective practice, current issues of Thailand and Southeast Asia, cultural competency, concepts of peace and conflict resolution, conflict sensitive program design, conflict analysis/assessment, creativity and peacebuilding, and other peace and conflict studies issues.  Currently, Jenn is the founder and managing director/CEO of Space Bangkok, a Bangkok based organization that blends reflective practice with facilitation, skills training, and an accompaniment approach to grow human potential to do more, better.  Before that, Jenn spent ten years building the Rotary Peace Center at Chulalongkorn University and the last seven of those years as the Deputy Director facilitating, training in, and overseeing all aspects of the Center’s peace and conflict resolution professional capacity building program.  She has also conducted trainings for other organizations in both Thai and English.  Jenn is fluent in Thai and has a master’s degree in Cultural and Applied Anthropology with a concentration in Southeast Asian Studies and a bachelor’s degree in Southeast Asian Studies focusing on Thailand and Indonesia from Northern Illinois University.