About:
The Student and Alumni Advisory Board of the Centre for Sustainability is an independent body that acts as a link between the Centre and the students and alumni of the Hertie School. The Student and Alumni Advisory Board organises student- and alumni-led events and provides advice on programming, events and other activities hosted by the Centre.
Apply now for the Student and Alumni Advisory Board
The Centre for Sustainability and the Student and Alumni Advisory Board (SAAB) for the Centre invite students to join the SAAB. As an SAAB member, you will have the opportunity to actively contribute to the Centre's initiatives and activities, sharing insights and perspectives, engaging in discussions with the Centre team, and helping shape the future student- and alumni-facing activities of the Centre.
For the academic year 2025/2026 we are looking to recruit 3 new Board members, with vacancies especially for students. Members serve for one academic year with the opportunity to extend the membership for one additional academic year.
We seek representation across all Hertie School academic programs and diverse professional sectors. Individuals from underrepresented personal background are strongly encouraged to apply. We believe that a broad range of identities and perspectives is vital to enhancing our collective impact on sustainability initiatives.
Application deadline: 12 October 2025
Student Applicants: Please apply using the link below
Alumni Applicants: Please send a brief email to [email protected] with your name, contact information, current affiliation/place of employment, Hertie graduation year, and a brief explanation (1 paragraph) of why you would like to join the SAAB. Please note that we do not currently have vacancies for alumni, but we welcome your submission of interest.
Members of the Student and Alumni Advisory Board for the academic year 2025/2026:
Alumni Members:
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Dorian Wevers is a 2025 MIA graduate, now working as analyst in the Climate Diplomacy and Security team at adelphi. She holds an LL.M. in Public International Law, focusing on the nexus of climate change and international security. Dorian has professional experience at the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) in the Mitigation Action Facility, contributing to climate finance and mitigation initiatives. Her academic and professional background, therefore, reflects a strong commitment to innovative solutions at the intersection of climate policy and international relations.
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Federico Guirado Wilson is a 2025 MPP graduate and a self-confessed tree-hugger. Passionate about nature and biodiversity, with a background in sustainable finance and a strong interest in the intersection of environmental policy and land use. Coming from a Latin American country with a rich agricultural heritage, he is excited to bring diverse perspectives to the Centre for Sustainability and foster more engagement between the student body and the Centre.
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Rodrigo Jimenez Silva is a Climate Policy Advisor at GIZ, based in Berlin. Previous experience includes working for OECD as an external consultant, as well as International Cooperation Liaison and Head of Department for North America at Mexico's Ministry of Energy. He holds a Master's degree in Public Policy from the Hertie School and a Bachelor's degree in International Relations.
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Emma Krause is a Managing Consultant at Guidehouse, working on the European energy, sustainability and infrastructure team. She has over 10 years of experience supporting public and private sector entities to design and implement climate and energy policy and programs. At Guidehouse she currently supports the European Commission to design, implement, and administer just transition capacity building programs and RFNBO auctions and certification schemes, as well as assess European carbon pricing mechanisms. She graduated from the Hertie School with a Masters in Public Policy in 2019, and from Emerson College with a Bachelor’s of Science in Communications and Political Science in 2012. In her spare time you can find her running, biking, or immersed in a novel.
Student Members:
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Paul Giraldo is an Electrochemistry and Process Engineer from Grenoble Institute of Technology. Through his positions as a sustainability consultant and a project manager, he has guided industrial companies in developing decarbonization strategies, managed hands-on decarbonization projects on oil rigs, set up European research projects on biofuels, conducted studies on hydrogen and gasification technologies, and supported companies with ESG compliance. Now aiming to put his experience at the service of EU policymaking, Paul is pursuing an MPP at the Hertie School and has a keen interest in all things related to the Carbon Border Adjustment Mechanism.
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Vermon Washington is a second year MPP student from Liberia focusing on climate policy. Driven by his passion for climate action, he researches mitigation policies and has presented findings at the Knowledge Beyond Boundaries Conference at the London School of Economics and the European Public Policy Conference. Prior to joining the Hertie School, he obtained a master's in international development degree from IE University and served as a Policy Analyst at the United Nations Development Coordination Office in New York. He is interested in using empirical findings to enable stakeholders to make informed policy decisions in mitigating the climate crisis.
Former members
Academic year 2024/2025
- Oyeshi Ganguly, MIA 2023
- Rodrigo Jimenez Silva, MPP 2019
- Emma Krause, MPP 2019
- Hermia Chan, MPP 2026
- Paul Giraldo, MPP 2026
- Federico Guirado Wilson, MPP 2025
- Aditya Narayan Rai, MDS 2025
- Vermon Washington, MPP 2026
- Dorian Wevers, MIA 2025