Kia Vahland Is MPIfG Journalist in Residence

The MPIfG’s Journalist in Residence between June and August 2026 is Kia Vahland, an editor with Süddeutsche Zeitung. Having studied political science and art history, Vahland joined the newspaper in 2008, initially as head of its art section and then going on to co-found the opinion section. During her stay at the MPIfG she will be working on how German cities are responding to the ecological, social, and political challenges of climate change in international comparison. Central to her current work are the conditions under which measures to adapt to climate change – making cities “spongier,” for example – are politically and socially viable, which actors help or hinder the process, and who benefits. Vahland’s research will culminate in a book she is writing on the topic. The Journalist in Residence Fellowship is an opportunity for journalists to work directly in a research environment on a project of their own choice and aims to strengthen dialogue between the social sciences and society.