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.
