Profile of HIGRADE participants
Name: Lea-Deborah Kolb (Germany)
Biodiversity and People
Research topic
How does the EU's Common Agricultural Policy (CAP) influence farmers decisions and shape landscapes? For this question, I perform so called agent-based simulations. They will project farm economics and maps of potential landscapes - and we will evaluate which policy interventions pays off most - for farmers and biodiversity.
March 2022
Two UFZ-professors taught in my Master's programme at University Osnabrück. I studied environmental systems and resources management.
Primarily, because of a PhD position that fits my interests and my competencies very well. Luckily, I find myself in an environment with researchers with a lot of expertise in my topic, although I consider it quite niche. But secondly, because of Leipzig. I have known Leipzig since I was a child because I have family here.
I do enjoy the broad self-organized culture. For example, I am passionate about acrobatics and there is quite a community here.
One part of the week, I work in a building that is not exclusively UFZ - the iDiv in Leipzig (German Center for Integrative Biodiversity Research). And that's a very new and friendly building, with a lot of open meeting spaces and bright colors. At UFZ main campus Leipzig, I can work in the modelling department OESA, and there I like the collegiality. Oh and I enjoy the carefully planted UFZ campus. The graduate school is a good support structure - the best course I have taken was the hybrid journal club at the Hydrologist department at Magdeburg.
https://www.ufz.de/index.php?en=49573
Relaxing with my flatmates, going to music and art events, and various sports.