About me

Fynn-Morten Heckert

Hello, nice to meet you! Let me introduce myself briefly.

My name is Fynn. I work as a research and policy consultant for organisations that make the world a better place. I prefer working with organisations that work transnationally but also take into account the local contexts, as I believe that the challenges of our times require coordinated responses across Europe and the entire globe, and need to take into account the needs and experiences of the people on the ground. I am proud to support my clients with my expertise, experience, and genuine concern quality to enhance the results of their work and therefore, making myself a modest but important contribution to transforming our societies to the better.

Having successfully supported multiple NGOs, research institutes, and as a Project Officer previously also the Council of Europe,  being trained in social sciences at different universities in Austria, Germany, and the United Kingdom, and able to work in several languages, I am convinced that I can bring substantial added value to the work of your organisation. So, if you work on making the world a better place yourself  by engaging in areas related to education, democratic culture, human rights, minority inclusion, and peacebuilding and need a knowledgable and results-driven consultant to help you achieve your goals, I am looking forward to hearing from you!

 

My experiences

Independent Consultant

As an independent consultant, I have been supporting several transnationally operating research institutions and NGOs in managing their projects, conducting research, and offering strategic and policy advice based on empirical evidence. Among my clients are the Roma Foundation for Europe, the Leibniz Institute for Educational Media / Georg-Eckert-Institute and EUROCLIO - the European Association of History Educators.

Current

2021-2024

Project Officer, 
Council of Europe

The Council of Europe is the continent’s leading human rights organisation. Since its foundation in 1949, the organisation has created a common legal space, centred on the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR), across its 46 member states. It promotes its core values human rights, democracy, and the rule of law.

During my tenure as a Project Officer, I have conceptualised and coordinated different projects in the field of history education, such as general reports for the Observatory on History Teaching in Europe (OHTE) and the European Union-Council of Europe Joint Project HISTOLAB. Before that, I was a trainee in the National Minorities Division.

Research Assistant, University of Graz (Austria)

The University of Graz is the second largest university in Austria. I have worked as a research assistant for the Centre of Southeast European Studies. In this role, I supported research projects mainly in the fields of political science and international law - especially with a focus on minority rights and anti-discrimination. I have furthermore led, conducted, presented, and published my own research projects and conducted a research semester in Montenegro.You can learn about my publications below.

2019-
2021

2019

Intern, Leibniz Centre for Contemporary History, Potsdam (Germany)

As an intern I supported the editorial office of Zeitgeschichte Online - an online magazine on contemporary history operated by the Leibniz Centre for Contemporary History in Potsdam (Germany). Here, I coordinated the publication of articles, investigated and resolved copyright issues for the images used on the platform, supported the social media team, and published an article in the online magazine Visual History, also operated by the ZZF.

Research Assistant,
Kiel University (Germany)

At the Kiel University, I supported the Chair of East European History in its research project and the teaching of history courses through literature research, preparation, and maintenance of the e-learning platform. I also assisted in the organisation and conduct of several international conferences.

2018-2019

Memberships

Expert Pool of the Centre for International Peace Operations (ZIF), Germany

The Center for International Peace Operations was established in 2002 by the Federal Government of Germany and the German Parliament to strengthen international civilian capacities for crisis prevention, conflict resolution and peacebuilding. It is a non-profit limited liability company, whose sole shareholder is the Federal Republic of Germany, represented by the German Federal Foreign Office.

On behalf of the Federal Foreign Office, ZIF provides services and expertise on and for peace operations at the national and international level in a comprehensive approach that unites training, recruitment, deployments, policy advice, analysis, international capacity building and dialogue formats.

since 2024

Southeast Europe Association, Germany

The Southeast Europe Association e.V. (SOG) as an intermediary organization supports the political, scientific and socio-cultural exchange with as well as the analysis of Southeast Europe. Institutionally supported by the German Federal Foreign Office, we have been one of the most important supporters of German foreign cultural policy since our foundation in 1952. We see it as the SOG’s task to build bridges through our activities.

Association for the Study of Nationalities, USA

The Association for the Study of Nationalities (ASN) is a scholarly association devoted to the promotion of knowledge and understanding of ethnicity, ethnic conflict, and nationalism studies broadly defined, with a particular geographic focus on Central, Eastern, and Southeastern Europe, Russia, Ukraine, the Caucasus, and Eurasia. ASN includes academics, researchers, policymakers and administrators at universities and other institutions, as well as members of the general public, who are interested in this significant area of scholarship. We contribute to the advancement of scholarship in this field through the organization of conventions and symposia, and the recognition and promotion of exceptional works of scholarship, including work by doctoral students.

Trainings

Comprehensive Core Course, Centre for International Peace Operations (ZIF), Germany 

The Comprehensive Core Course (CCC) (formerly CGTPO) prepares experts for deployment to UN, OSCE, or EU peace operations. The course follows the ZIF Civilian Expert Concept and builds the professional, personal, social and methodological skills required to successfully work in a peace operation. The training emphasises civil-police-military cooperation and the comprehensive approach, which is also embodied by the mixed trainer team. Other participants include national staff from UN, OSCE, and EU peace operations, as well as police officers and members of the armed forces. The curriculum includes interactive, practical exercises based on a scenario that reflects mission realities. The course provides the space for participants to reflect critically on the work of peace operations and encourages open discussions in the spirit of peer learning. The training was conducted by Germany's Centre for International Peace Operations (ZIF) and the Police of North Rhine-Westphalia

2024

2023

Public Policy Design, Council of Europe

This course develops skills to develop evidence-based public policies and projects that aim at improving the situation related to the respect for human rights, democracy, and the rule of law. It furthermore transfers important skills related to results-based project management that allows to effectively coordiante and implement public policies. 

Financial Management, Council of Europe

This course equipped me with the skills necessary to manage project funds on international level.

2023

My education

PhD: Law and Politics
University of Graz, Austria

The programme combines researching and learning about the most relevant concepts and methods used in legal and political science. My research project focuses on understanding responses to different forms of violence exercised to people on the basis of their gender, ethnic identity, age, social status and other relevant categories.

since 2022

2019-2022

Master of Arts: South-Eastern European Studies,
University of Graz (Austria) &
 University College London (UK)

"South-Eastern European studies" is an interdisciplinary and international study programme jointly operated by the Universities of Graz (Austria) and Belgrade (Serbia). It offers skills and knowledge in the following areas, all with a regional focus on Southeastern Europe • political science, especially in regard to democratisation and European Integration • international law, especially with a view to human and minority rights, European law, and transitional justice • (political) sociology • cultural studies • history • economics It encourages international exchanges and research trips. My master's thesis was awarded the Rudi Roth scholarship of excellence for research projects related to Southeastern Europe. For my Master's thesis, I undertook a research semester in Montenegro.

Grade 1 - passed with distinction.

Bachelor of Arts:
History & Political Science
Kiel University, Germany

I focused my studies on the history of Southeastern Europe, 19th-21st century and on qualitative empirical research.

My Bachelor's thesis analysed wartime violence during the Bosnian War from an intersectional perspective, focusing on the Serbian detention camps on the territory of the Prijedor municipality.

Grade: 1 (excellent)

2015-2019

My publications

2024, forthcoming

Introduction (co-authored with Aurora Ailincai); in: Renewing history education in the service of democracy. An evaluation of potential innovations to enhance history education’s capacities to strengthen democratic culture in Europe (Council of Europe).
 

2022

The end of state capture in Montenegro? :The Krivokapić government, the Đukanović system and the role of "Western" actors in Montenegrin politics after the 2020 elections. (MA-Thesis, University of Graz). Access here.

2021

"Bespravna Gradnja / Črna Gradnja / Divlja Gradnja / Ndërtim i paligjshëm (Informal Construction) (Countries of the former Yugoslavia)." Global Informality Project. Access here

2020

Protests against the Law on Religious Freedom in Montenegro. A Challenge to the “Đukanović-System”? Contemporary Southeast Europe 7(1). Access here

2020

"Visuelle Diskurse. Die Rolle des Fotojournalismus bei der (Re-)Produktion hierarchischer Differenzsysteme." Visual History. Access here.

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