Who we are
The Institute for Climate Protection, Energy and Mobility (IKEM) organises the annual IKEM Academy: Energy and Climate in close cooperation with the University of Greifswald. IKEM is a German research institute that analyses legal, political, economic and social challenges associated with the transition to renewable energy and mobility systems. Learn more about IKEM here.
University of Greifswald
Founded in 1456, the University of Greifswald is one of the oldest academic institutions in Europe. It is especially renowned for its programmes in policy and law. Learn more about the University of Greifswald here.
The team
Prof. Dr. Michael Rodi
Prof. Dr. Michael Rodi is the director of IKEM and the founder of IKEM Academy: Energy and Climate. He held the Chair of Public Law, Finance Law, Environmental Law and Energy Law at the University of Greifswald from 1999 until his retirement in 2021.
Prof. Dr. Rodi has provided consultancy services to the German Ministry of Economic Affairs, the German Environmental Agency and the European Union on the topics of tax surcharges, climate change law and financial resource collection, among other topics. He was also responsible for designing and implementing a comprehensive ecological tax reform in Vietnam.
Currently, his research focuses on climate and energy legislation, with an emphasis on the interaction of fiscal instruments.
Anika Nicolaas Ponder
Anika Nicolaas Ponder leads the Climate & Innovation Department at IKEM. Her expertise includes innovative engagement formats for the energy transition, international networks and project management. Anika has managed IKEM Academy since 2011. In recent years, she served as project lead for the Baltic InteGrid, an EU consortium investigating meshed offshore grids in the Baltic Sea. She was also project manager for two multi-award-winning collaborative projects between IKEM and the Berlin-based design agency Ellery Studio.
Anika holds a bachelor’s degree in international business from the Amsterdam School of Business and a master’s degree in sustainable development from the Sorbonne, Paris.
Kate Miller
Kate is a research associate at IKEM with experience in non-profit development and creative problem-solving. She coordinates many of IKEM’s strategic visibility activities and participates in both research and creative projects as a writer, translator and editor. She has also led an intensive seminar at the University of Greifswald on environmental justice in the US.
Kate graduated from Haverford College with a bachelor’s degree in German and a minor in sociology. She holds a master’s degree in sociology (emphasis: social psychology) from the University of California, Davis.
Freya Endrullis
Freya is a research associate in IKEM’s Climate & Innovation Department. She studied sustainable development at the universities of Utrecht (Netherlands) and Leipzig, with a specialisation in earth system governance. Her master’s thesis focused on citizens’ perceptions of justice with regard to national and European climate policy, using the Yellow Vests movement in France as a case study.
Freya completed her bachelor’s degree in biology at the universities of Hamburg and Pau (France) and has worked in various environmental organisations in both France and Germany.
Odile Stabon
Odile is a graphic designer who translates climate and energy research into visually compelling infographics, maintains design guidelines in IKEM’s printed publications and facilitates design thinking workshops. Her poster design for EQT, a gender equality toolkit produced by IKEM in collaboration with Ellery Studio, was recognised at the 27th Malofiej International Infographics Awards.
Odile holds a degree in industrial design from London’s Brunel University, with a concentration in design thinking and visual communication.
Julie Hertel
Julie earned a bachelor’s degree in international management from the Université d’Angers, France, and subsequently trained in graphic design. She currently works as a junior graphic designer in IKEM’s Climate & Innovation Department.
Paula Scholz
Paula joined IKEM’s Climate & Innovation Department as an intern in February 2023. She is currently completing a bachelor’s programme in international relations and philosophy at the University of Erfurt and studied for one semester at Université Paris Nanterre.