Academic Career

• since 2015: Research Assistant, “Digital human-environment interaction” at the Otto Suhr Institute (Otto-Suhr-Institut), Freie Universität Berlin
• March - September 2015: Research Associate, „Transformation Processes in the Eastern Pamirs of Tajikistan. The presence and future of energy resources in the framework of sustainable development” (funded by the VolkswagenStiftung, 2012-2015) at the Centre for Development Studies (ZELF), Freie Universität Berlin
• August - October 2014: Research Associate at the Centre for Development Studies (ZELF), Freie Universität Berlin
• 2010 - 2014: Student Assistant at the Centre for Development Studies (ZELF), Freie Universität Berlin
• August - October 2012: Field research for master thesis in Kyrgyzstan within the research project „Transformation Processes in the Eastern Pamirs of Tajikistan. The presence and future of energy resources in the framework of sustainable development” (funded by the VolkswagenStiftung, 2012-2015)
• 2009 - 2014: M.Sc. Geography (Geographical Development Studies) at the Freie Universität Berlin
• 2005 - 2008: B.Sc. Geography at the Friedrich-Schiller-Universität Jena

Research Interests

• Political ecology, societal relationship to nature

• Conflicts over land, mining and resources

• Geographical development and transformation studies

• Regional focus: Sub-Saharan Africa, Central Asia

Publications

Conference papers

• 2015: Sonntag, Christian: The Nexus of Development and Energy Use in Sary Mogol, Alai Valley, Kyrgyzstan. Energy Resources in Central Asian Mountains in the era of global change: Research and Practice. International Conference, Dushanbe 29.–30.05.2015 of the joint Tajik-German research initiative “The presence and future of energy resources in theframework of sustainable development in the Eastern Pamirs”; Venue: Academy of Science of the Republic of Tajikistan, Rudaki av., Dushanbe.
  

Poster

• 2015: Sonntag, Christian: The Sary Mogol Microcosm: The Nexus of Development and Energy Use in Sary Mogol, Alai Valley, Kyrgyzstan. International Conference, Dushanbe 29.–30.05.2015 of the joint Tajik-German research initiative “The presence and futureof energy resources in the framework of sustainable development in the Eastern Pamirs”; Venue: Academy of Science of the Republic of Tajikistan, Rudaki av., Dushanbe.