Plenefisch, Julian (he/ him)

Julian Plenefisch enjoys books, video games, and spending time with his son. After receiving his Master's degree in History and Japanese Studies, he became a researcher at the Institute of Japanese Studies at Freie Universität Berlin from 2009 to 2015. During this time, he gained extensive teaching and research experience in London, Osaka, and Tokyo thanks to scholarships from the Japan Foundation, the Toshiba International Foundation, and the German Institute for Japanese Studies. Concurrently, he supported the Associate Director of the Graduate School of East Asian Studies (GEAS) at Freie Universität Berlin Berlin as a Program Assistant. After receiving his PhD in Japanese Studies, he transitioned to the position of Special Assistant to the Executive Director at Rosa Luxemburg Stiftung in 2015. There, he assisted the Executive Director in leadership and strategic planning. He then took on the position of Managing Director of the Department for Health Studies and Early Childhood Education at Alice Salomon University of Applied Sciences Berlin in 2022, overseeing a staff of 11 members with a focus on academic affairs, administration, and finances.

Since March 2024, Julian Plenefisch is Head of Administration at the Max Planck Institute for Human Development.