ORGANIZATION
The Chief of Staff supports the Director in all leadership and management responsibilities. This role ensures the strategic development of scientific management, maintain effective communication structures, and provide professional leadership for the assigned departments. In addition, the Chief of Staff is responsible for managing projects of strategic, center-wide importance and high priority.
The Executive Office serves as the organizational and administrative center directly supporting the Director. It assists the Director in all administrative and organizational matters and acts as the central point of contact for both internal and external inquiries.
Its focus is on ensuring efficient operations, transparent information flow, and proactive schedule and task management. Through its coordinating function, the Executive Office plays a key role in enabling the Director to work effectively and ensures the smooth running of daily operations as well as professional communication within and beyond the center.
The Foresight Division, located within the Office of the Director, analyzes—based on its own research—current and anticipated international and national developments and future opportunities in the fields of cybersecurity and artificial intelligence, as well as their relevance to the research, innovation, and societal mission of CISPA.
The division’s central task is to look beyond the obvious, systematically identify and study long-term trends, and assess their potential impact on the center and the global research landscape. Using evidence-based methods, it derives opportunities, risks, and transformation pathways that serve as a foundation for strategic decision-making and future research initiatives—both within the center and as policy recommendations for government, industry, and society in the relevant fields.
Building on its research findings, the Foresight Division supports the Director in developing a visionary outlook for the center’s future, defining strategic options, and ensuring the long-term global relevance of CISPA in research, innovation, and societal impact. In doing so, Foresight directly influences national and international strategic priorities and shapes the public perception of CISPA.
The Public Affairs Department supports the Director in strategic communication with political institutions and stakeholders at national, European, and international levels.
As a central interface between science and policy, it monitors and analyzes political developments, fosters the establishment of resilient networks, and coordinates political delegations. In addition, it supports the external representation of the center in political contexts, thereby contributing to the visibility, reputation, and effectiveness of CISPA at the political level.
The International Affairs and Science Relations Department assists the Director in all aspects of the center’s international strategic networking and institutional cooperation.
Its focus lies on initiating, developing, and managing strategic partnerships, as well as designing and implementing international strategies. The department works closely with universities and research institutions in Germany and abroad to strengthen the center’s international visibility and positioning through a target-oriented approach.
Its responsibilities include shaping the content and contractual frameworks of collaborations, aligning strategic initiatives with internal and external partners, and developing concepts to firmly anchor the center within the global research landscape. On this basis, the department identifies new initiatives and develops projects of international relevance.
The Project and Science Coordination Department manages research-related processes and strategic projects, serving as an interface between science, administration, and executive management. The department is responsible for planning, implementing, and monitoring projects of central importance, as well as overseeing research-related reporting at all levels. This also includes preparing the center’s regularly published reports.
The Meet CISPA department enhances the center's visibility both internally and externally, brings its scientific excellence to life, and contributes to the active positioning of CISPA in the public sphere. Its core activities include the conception, planning, and execution of events, as well as strategic marketing and communications. Through targeted formats and communication initiatives, Meet CISPA creates spaces for knowledge exchange, networking, and dialogue—both within the center and with society, policymakers, and other relevant stakeholders.
The department’s goal is to present CISPA as a place of technological innovation and scientific excellence, while fostering encounters that sustainably connect research, collaboration, and social engagement.
The Alumni Engagement department is responsible for establishing and maintaining a vibrant and long-term relationship between CISPA and its alumni.
Its focus is on developing an active, global alumni community that promotes the exchange of knowledge, experience, and ideas, and contributes to shaping the center’s future. Through targeted concepts, programs, and events, alumni are strengthened as part of a lifelong community and invited to participate in the scientific, societal, and institutional development of CISPA.
Management and administrative staff units
