Team

Ahmed Tarek Al-Ahwal

PhD candidate
Research assistant, Urban-Footprints Project

• a.tarek.alahwal@enrlaw.uni-freiburg.de
• +49 159 06797092
• Room 02 054
• Kurz-Bio

  Ahmed Tarek al-Ahwal is a research associate in the Urban Footprints Project under the project leader Dr. Cathrin Zengerling. The project is located within the professorship for “Transformation to Sustainable Energy Systems” at the Albert Ludwigs University of Freiburg. He works on content analysis, planning and conducting interviews, and organizing the project’s final conference.
  
  His inclusion in the research project is based on his experience as an independent researcher in the fields of urban metabolism, urban water management, public justice, and land governance. In addition to his training as an architect, he brings his Masters in urban management and development from the Institute for Housing and Urban Studies in Rotterdam. His current focus is on investigating challenges in applying compact city principles in development contexts.

Clara Brühl

PhD candidate
Research assistant, W-rob Project

• clara.bruehl@enrlaw.uni-freiburg.de
• +49 761 203 67813
• Room 02 054
• Kurz-Bio

  Since January 2025, Clara Brühl has been working as a research assistant in the legal component of the research project “W-Rob – socially robust heat planning”. There she is researching legal issues in municipal heat planning. She is aiming for a doctorate in law in this research area.

Leonie Buß

Research assistant, Future Forests Excellence Cluster

• leonie.buss@enrlaw.uni-freiburg.de
• leonie.buss@futureforests.uni-freiburg.de
• +49 761 203 67814
• Room 02 052
• Kurz-Bio

  Leonie Buß is a doctoral researcher in theme C1, “Multi- and interdisciplinary conceptualization of novel SESs”, in the Cluster of Excellence Future Forests (EXC 3127). There, she investigates the role of laws and legal institutions in social-ecological systems (SES) such as forests and their integration into SES theory and legal research.

M. Sc. Nikita John

PhD student
Research assistant, Urban-Footprints Project

• nikita.john@enrlaw.uni-freiburg.de
• +49 761 203 67813
• Room 02 054
• Kurz-Bio

  Nikita John has been part of the Urban Footprints Project since February 2019 as a research associate at Hafencity University Hamburg. Together with her team, she organized the “Kickoff Workshop” in July 2019 to announce the project and generate interest and potential contacts for the coming years. They also hosted a workshop as part of the City Science Summit, organized in collaboration with City Science Lab and MIT. Since late 2019, she and the team have helped set up the new junior professorship for “Transformation to Sustainable Energy Systems” under project leader Dr. Cathrin Zengerling at Albert Ludwigs University Freiburg.
  
  Her involvement in the research project is based on her training as an architect and her master’s degree program, which focused on resource efficiency in architecture and planning and resulted in a master’s thesis analyzing affordable housing policy in India. Currently, Nikita is focused on exploring the role of participation in ensuring accountability and reducing emissions in urban infrastructure delivery in the Indian context.

M. Sc. Marina Klimke

PostDoc, Future Forests Excellence Cluster

• marina.klimke@enrlaw.uni-freiburg.de
• +49 761 203 67814
• Room 02 052
• Kurz-Bio

  Marina Klimke has been a research assistant in the legal work package in the project “INTEGRA – Integration of habitat structures in agricultural areas to promote pollinating insects” since November 2021. Here she deals with the legal framework of agroforestry systems and researches the possibilities and obstacles to the implementation of agroforestry systems in Germany.

M. Sc. Marius Montero-Cabrera

Research assistant, Clean tech law Project

• marius.montero-cabrera@enrlaw.uni-freiburg.de
• +49 761 203 67811
• Room 02 052
• Kurz-Bio

  Marius Montero-Cabrera has been a research assistant in the Clean-Tech Law project since June 2026. His research focuses on critically analysing the legal framework governing resource efficiency and the circularity of critical raw materials used in energy transition technologies.

Ass. iur Christian Schwarz-Vomhof

Research assistant, FORSCALE Project

• christian.schwarz-vomhof@enrlaw.uni-freiburg.de
• +49 761 203 67814
• Room 02 052
• Kurz-Bio

  Christian Schwarz-Vomhof has been a research assistant at the international Research Training Group FORSCALE since January 2026. His work focuses on the role of the law in helping forests adapt to climate change. His research also includes a comparative analysis with Canadian law.