Clara van den Berg is a democracy researcher at the WZB Berlin Social Science Center. Clara’s expertise lies in the analysis of democratic alliances in refugee support and advocacy, with a particular focus on the lasting impact of the 2015 pro-refugee mobilization in Germany on local civil society networks and community building. As she nears the end of her Ph.D. this summer, Clara is eager to start her post-doc in Berlin on affective polarization in civil society, with a focus on climate change and migration. In her new role, she is also increasingly interested in communicating her research findings to policymakers. She recently completed a research fellowship at the University of California, Berkeley, comparing local alliance building in the United States and Germany.

Prior to her doctoral studies, Clara completed a Master’s degree in International Relations at the Humboldt University of Berlin, the Free University of Berlin, and the University of Potsdam. During her studies, Clara spent time abroad in the United States, Sweden, and Israel.