Jana-Christina von Dessien is a Policy Fellow in the field of International Law at foraus. She holds a B.A. in Political Science and English and American Studies from the University Erlangen-Nuremberg as well as a M.A. in International Politics and International Law from the University Kiel.

After a project-related assignment with the German Marshall Fund of the United States, she joined the University of St. Gallen’s ‘Doctorate in International Affairs’ program. In her research, she examines the evolution of discursive practices in the legitimation process of drone strikes in US counterterrorism and derives policymaking implications for the path to governing norms for emerging technologies in warfare.

As a Policy Fellow with foraus, she writes and speaks on the governance of norm-disruptive weapon technologies, their impact on counterterrorism strategies, as well as the evolution of civilian protection in conflict and arms control in a rapidly changing geopolitical environment.