Daniela Schwarzer is Adjunct Professor at SAIS Europe
President-Elect, Hertie School, Berlin

Daniela Schwarzer is a leading expert on European and international affairs and has built a distinguished career spanning more than 20 years at renowned think tanks, foundations, and universities.

She was recently elected as the next President of the Hertie School, Germany’s leading university of governance, based in Berlin. Until June 2026, she served as a member of the Executive Board of the Bertelsmann Stiftung, where she was responsible for the programs "Europe’s Future," "Democracy and Cohesion," and "Sustainable Social Market Economy."

Previously, she served as Director and CEO of the German Council on Foreign Relations (DGAP) and as a member of the Executive Board of the German Marshall Fund of the United States. She also held the position of Executive Director for Europe and Central Asia at the Open Society Foundations.

Daniela Schwarzer is an honorary professor of political science at Freie Universität Berlin and has taught at international universities, including as a Visiting professor at the Harvard Kennedy School. She also serves as supervisory board member of publicly listed companies.