Maximilian Stern studied political science, economics and European Law at the Universities of Zurich and Munich (LMU) and founded the Model United Nations Team at the University of Zurich. He gained professional experience at the European Council on Foreign Relations (ECFR) and at Stiftung Neue Verantwortung in Berlin. As a founder member he was managing director of the think tank foraus – The Swiss Forum on Foreign Policy in Zurich and Geneva. Maximilian is a board member of the Swiss Society for Foreign Policy (SGA), a member of the Global Shapers of the World Economic Forum (WEF) and coleader of the focus group Europe of Swisscleantech. During his Mercator Fellowship he will deal with issues at the interface between technology and democracy from different perspectives.