Dr. Swantje Westpfahl is the director of the Institute for Security and Safety.
Swantje started her professional career by studying to become a teacher and having many side jobs in the field of applied linguistics. After graduating from the University of Mannheim with distinction, she pursued a PhD in the interdisciplinary field of linguistics and machine learning, publishing a book with Magna Cum Laude. She is experienced in a variety of scientific methods and in the coordination and organization of research and educational projects.
At the Institute for Security and Safety, her main objectives are the strategic development of the institute and the expansion of cooperation projects. Thus, she’s also the personal point of contact for all cooperation partners. She coordinates the research and development as well as the capacity building activities of the Institute, especially with a focus on new developments in cyber security, e.g. with respect to critical infrastructures, i.e., the energy and automotive industry.
As a key point of contact with international institutions, she is the ISS’s representative at the United Nations OEWG on ICT in the context of international security and also in UNECE’s WP.29 GRVA. She’s also the Head of the European Initiatives Task Force of the European Energy Information Sharing and Analysis Centre (EE-ISAC). Her main areas of expertise are security culture, capacity building and didactics, cyber security in international relations, and AI. Most of all, she's dedicated to empower her team in order to strenghten Cyber Security around the world.
