Dissertation

Successful PhD Defence by Theresa Klara Loch

We are delighted to congratulate Theresa Klara Loch on the successful defence of her dissertation, “Social Networks within the Implementation of Forest Biodiversity Conservation.” The dissertation was supervised by Prof. Daniela Kleinschmit (University of Freiburg) and co-supervised by Prof. Örjan Bodin (Stockholm Resilience Centre).
The dissertation examines how biodiversity-related objectives are interpreted and implemented in forest management, with a particular focus on the role of social and social–ecological networks.
Drawing on a systematic review, semi-structured interviews, and network analysis—including a social–ecological perspective that links cooperation patterns to ecological context—the work demonstrates that implementation is shaped through professional relationships, informal coordination, and situated judgment under conditions of uncertainty and institutional ambiguity. By conceptualising implementation as a relational and ecologically embedded process, the dissertation advances research on forest governance and provides empirically grounded insights that are relevant to both academic debates and management practice.
We warmly congratulate Theresa on this achievement and wish her all the best for her future academic and professional path.

Dissertation

Successful PhD Defence by Laila Berning

We warmly congratulate Laila Berning on the successful defense of her dissertation titled “EU Politics of Regulating Transnational Forest and Agricultural Commodity Supply Chains for Legality and Sustainability”. The dissertation was supervised by Prof. Daniela Kleinschmit (UFR) and Prof. Rachael Garrett (University of Cambridge) and makes an important contribution by highlighting the political complexity of the EU Deforestation Regulation process.

In her work, Laila highlights the role of different ideational and material factors in driving EU policy change or stability. The EUDR serves as an emblematic case study for analysing the increasing role of public regulation in global environmental governance and the unilateral turn in EU trade policy.

We are deeply impressed by Laila’s work and proudly wish her all the best for her future academic and professional path!