Maria Stalla has developed expertise in public policy evaluation with a particular interest in higher education, green economy and international development policy. She has contributed to evaluations and studies for European and national public bodies. She is experienced in a range of methods such as interviews, surveys, case studies, desk research, literature reviews and statistical analysis.
Currently, Maria contributes to projects in the area of higher education and research policy for the German Federal Ministry of Education and Research (BMBF) and other national German and European clients. For example, in the evaluation of the German participation in Erasmus+ cooperation projects for the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) she is involved in concluding interviews, focus groups, implementing and analysing an online-survey as well as statistical analysis and desk research. Furthermore, as part of the evaluation team of Germany’s internationalisation strategy for education, science and research, she contributes to data collection and analysis via extensive desk research.
Prior to joining Technopolis Group, Maria worked for the Chair for Politics in the European Multilevel System at Goethe University Frankfurt, where she contributed to research on EU public policies and international political economy with a focus on the circular economy. She also worked for the Hessian state government as a researcher, comparing the consequences of the COVID-19 pandemic in Germany and Italy. Previously, Maria interned at the department West Africa of the KfW Development Bank.
Maria obtained her bachelor’s degree in Political Science and Public Law from Heidelberg University and a master’s degree in Political Science from Goethe University Frankfurt, Germany. During her studies she spent exchange semesters at the University of Florence in Italy and at UMass Boston, MA, USA. She is fluent in German, English and Russian and has advanced knowledge of Italian and French.