Lena Winter

Lena Winter joined the research project Impact AI as a researcher in March 2025. The project aims to develop an auditing method to assess the impact of civic-oriented AI projects on social transformation and sustainability.

Previously, Lena studied International Relations and Social Sciences (B.A.) at the University of Erfurt and Integrated Natural Resource Management (M.A.) at Humboldt University Berlin. She is particularly interested in the interaction between the environment and society, especially the effects of climate change on human behaviour and the question of adaptation strategies.

The question of how human behaviour can change in a sustainable way and how social change can take place was central to Lena Winter’s interdisciplinary research for her Master’s thesis. She evaluated a participatory co-research approach to promote sustainable changes in social and economic practices as well as empowerment processes of farmers in Sulawesi, Indonesia.

Lena Winter is particularly interested in trans- and interdisciplinary research approaches and the potential of AI for social transformation and the strengthening of ecological sustainability.

In addition to her work at HIIG, Lena works as a social advisor at a Berlin-based association and is involved in the Netzwerk gegen Femizide Berlin (Network Against Femicide Berlin) to combat violence against women*.