Our team members and their knowledge are our resources. They combine social science expertise and interdisciplinary competence. This is our basis for the creation of new concepts and realistic and viable solutions which lead to the development of models, processes and projects, achieving optimal results. We deal with the coordination and management of regional and international projects on a daily basis and have wide-ranging experience in this field. Because communication is essential, please do not hesitate to contact us directly.

Dr. Karin Stiehr is an executive partner of ISIS. As a social scientist, she is an advisor to the provincial governments of Hesse and North Rhine-Westphalia. She researches structural processes and coordinates regional, domestic and European social science and social policy projects; especially, those concerning demographic changes and civil society. Dr. Stiehr focuses on the situation of older women, the living conditions of the older people (especially, isolated persons) and the quality of life in homes for the aged. She is also active in the field of setting up voluntary services for older people. As an evaluator, Karin Stiehr participates in programmes to insure the quality of EU projects. Her working languages are German and English.

Jana Eckert is an executive partner and director of ISIS. She has studied social sciences (diploma) at JLU Giessen with majors in sociology and political science and the secondary subjects psychology and psychosocial medicine. Her education focused on quantitative social research and on health-related issues. Since mid-2013 she is working for ISIS, in particular in the fields of geriatric care and promoting age-friendly environments as well as the wellbeing, social and digital participationof older people. She is coordinating the European projects DigitalScouts and Culture on Prescription. Jana Eckert speaks German and English.

Jesper Schulze is an executive partner and director of ISIS. He studied social sciences with a focus on sociology and social psychology in Hanover and then moved to the Goethe University Frankfurt for his master’s degree in sociology. His studies focused on theories and concepts of social inequality with a special emphasis on poverty and gender studies. He is currently involved in European projects on adult education. Here he is working on innovative interdisciplinary concepts to ensure quality of life in an aging society and on the topics of racism and diversity. Jesper Schulze speaks German and English.

Yannick Helgers studied Human Geography (Bachelor) at the Goethe-University in Frankfurt, where he is currently completing his master’s degree in Human Geography. His main research interests are in the areas of critical urban research with a special focus on the urban everyday life of older people and security discourses. Having already conducted research on the perception of security measures by older persons in Frankfurt’s city center in his bachelor thesis, he has further deepened these main topics during his current master studies. He has been with ISIS since 2022 and is currently working on a project to raise awareness and tackle ageism, among other things. Yannick Helgers speaks German and English.

Marcel Neumann first studied economics (B.Sc.) at the Goethe University in Frankfurt with a focus on management and marketing. During his semester abroad at the Universidad de Granada, he furthered his education especially in the field of social and political public relations & marketing. He then completed his Master’s degree (M.A.) in Human Geography at Goethe University with a focus on critical urban and economic research. Marcel Neumann joined ISIS in spring 2022 and is currently working on the topics of age discrimination and cultural participation and quality of life. He speaks German, English, Spanish and French.

Leni Koch studied sociology (B.A.) at the Goethe-University in Frankfurt am Main, specialising in migration and quantitative social research methods. She is currently studying sociology in the Master’s programme in Frankfurt am Main, also at the Goethe-University. During a semester abroad in Lisbon at the Instituto Universitário de Lisboa, she was able to expand her knowledge of qualitative research methods and statistical indicators. She joined ISIS in April 2022 and is currently working on projects about age-friendly and inclusive environments and sustainability. Leni Koch speaks German and English.

Dr. Karl Mingot,studied sociology at the Universities of Frankfurt am Main, Hamburg and Giessen. He is trained in techniques of objective hermeneutics and in conversation analysis. His research focuses mainly on the way people perceive artefacts, the historic development of occupations requiring professionalization, poverty in Germany, as well as living in old age. Conducting case studies and project evaluation are his main tasks with ISIS. Karl Mingot speaks German, French and English.

Renata Openchowska Renata Openchowska is working for ISIS as an administratvie assistant since December 2014. She completed an apprenticeship as an economic technician for finance and accounting and studied economics at Bogdana Janskiego University of Applied Sciences in Lomza, Poland. She holds the IHK certificates “Administration of Human Resources” and “Accounting”. At ISIS, Renata Openchowska is in charge of the usual administrative activities and in particular the accounting of Eu-funded projects. She speaks Polish, Russian and German.

Equality, participation and equal opportunities are central to the work of ISIS Institut für Soziale Infrastruktur. Within the organisation, we also strive to promote gender equality at all levels of work. Read more about this in our Gender Equality Plan (available in German language).