(interviewed in 2024)

Dagmar Möbius

Janina Dill took her Bachelor's degree in International Relations and moved abroad. She continued her studies, gained her PhD, and is now Professor of Global Security at the University of Oxford. In a male-dominated field, she is a highly sought after, international expert.

When Janina Dill was a child, castles and palaces were the most exciting things for her. She grew up in Hanover and laughs: "I was interested in history from an early age. Then, I worked my way chronologically. From the Stone Age to the German Revolution, I eventually arrived in the present day." Her interest in politics grew. Above all, she wondered how wars come about as part of human history and what attempts were made to prevent them.

Her career goal: becoming a diplomat

This interest led to her desire to become a diplomat. In search of a degree program that would combine politics, history, languages and law, she came to Dresden in 2002, aged 19. "I liked the combination and this interdisciplinary degree program was very innovative at the time and only available at TUD," the 41-year-old recalls. "The beginning of my studies was magical," she still enthuses today. "I wanted to be at the university all the time. The library in particular was fascinating." She found the city "incredibly beautiful and neither too big nor too small". The fact that her room only cost EUR 180 a month gave her financial leeway.

Asserting herself in a male domain

Janina Dill was especially enthusiastic about law and international law in particular. Professor Sabine von Schorlemer became her role model, both professionally and personally. "I also needed to learn how to deal with difficult people," she says about some early lessons in a male-dominated field. She prefers to remember the interdisciplinary nature of her studies: "I still can't let go of all the subjects and I still work across disciplines. From an academic point of view, this is not always easy and I can't fully recommend it as a career path, but I always felt there was no alternative for me."

Reorienting from diplomacy to science

During her Bachelor's degree, Janina Dill completed internships such as at the Permanent Mission of Germany to the United Nations in New York. She found it interesting, but afterwards she came to an unexpected realization: "Despite the exciting environment in New York, I realized that I would miss doing fundamental work and therefore decided to go into academia." After completing her Bachelor's degree in 2005, she went to the USA on a Fulbright scholarship. Within just one year, from 2006 to 2007, she completed her Master's degree in Cambridge. Immediately afterwards, she began her doctorate in Oxford. Her doctoral thesis was about law in armed conflict. "It involved legal interpretation, political science issues, philosophical and legal questions," she summarizes.

Finding her home in Oxford

Janina Dill has been living and working abroad for almost 20 years. She also spent time in Princeton and worked in London for two years. Janina Dill has found her home in Oxford. Here, she is the first Professor of Global Security at the Blavatnik School of Government. Students from 120 countries who want to go into politics or public office study at the School. "I really enjoy teaching," says the university lecturer. "The interdisciplinary approach to security policy is just made for me, but it's a male-dominated field." She is also a Fellow at Trinity College Oxford and Co-Director of the Oxford Institute for Ethics, Law, and Armed Conflict (ELAC).

War and conflict as research fields

Janina Dill looks at wars and armed conflicts on a daily basis. Gaza, Israel, Ukraine, South Sudan, Myanmar. "It does get to me, especially when younger people are affected," she admits. She has a small child herself and struggles with the fact that law and politics do not adequately protect children in war. "We are not trained to keep our distance when the world is on fire," she says. However, what drives her is the question of what we can do ourselves to prevent war. Not to be underestimated: "As a voter in a democracy, you can take a stand."

Sought after expertise

Until August 2024, Janina Dill will be researching three interdisciplinary projects as a guest researcher in Berlin. One project focuses on how the war in Gaza should be assessed under international law, another on how the Ukrainian population perceives resistance and collaboration in the war with Russia. The third research field addresses nuclear deterrence. "Just five years ago, this was not a very important research topic for security policy. Now it is a top priority issue," she says and explains: "It's difficult to research because countries keep their plans for nuclear weapons secret." As an expert in security policy, Professor Janina Dill is also regularly featured in the media. She then comments on questions such as: How likely will the Criminal Court convict Putin? Or: How can we assess Israel's latest attack on Gaza?

German cuisine and cycle tracks

In Berlin, Janina Dill notices some positive things about Germany: "The public transport is great, I'll miss the cycle tracks," she says. She also enjoys the German cuisine. At the university, she has observed that the atmosphere has become more informal. “People talk to each other in a more unpretentious way. That wouldn't have been possible in my time," she laughs. "But I think it's good." Janina Dill still feels very connected to the Center for International Studies "because it produces many outstanding students". She has already taught some Dresden alumni in Oxford.

Contact:

Janina Dill

Dame Louise Richardson Chair in Global Security, Blavatnik School of Government

Co-Director, Oxford Institute for Ethics, Law & Armed Conflict

Fellow, Trinity College Oxford

University of Oxford

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