1975, MA in International Relations, focused on South Asia; 1987, PhD in South Asian History and Pakistan, Humboldt University, Berlin; 2003, postdoctoral degree in Political Science, Free University, Berlin. Since 1992, conducting project research at Leibniz-Zentrum Moderner Orient, focusing on the politics and history of South Asia, in particular Pakistan, with special emphasis on Islamic mobilization in the region, and also on global Muslim networking with regard to Europe, Central Asia, South-East Asia. Active in research and consultancy on South Asia. Lecturer and Academic Supervisor, Free University Berlin. Author.