Marina Rudyak

Short biography

Marina Rudyak is an assistant professor at the Institute of Chinese Studies at Heidelberg University. She is lecturing on Chinese economic policy and international relations, and working on her PhD dissertation on Chinese foreign aid and its role within the international development architecture. Prior to returning to academia in 2014, Marina was a long term policy advisor at the German Agency for International Cooperation (Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ) GmbH) in Beijing. There she managed a programme on regional economic cooperation and integration between China and Central and East Asian transition economies, focusing on inclusive growth and cross-border trade facilitation. She has also worked for GIZ in Bishkek and for the Friedrich-Ebert-Foundation in Shanghai. Marina grew up between the cultures of Russia and Germany, and is fluent in Russian, German, Chinese and English. She studied at Heidelberg University and Shanghai International Studies University and holds an MA in Modern and Classical Chinese Studies and Public Law. In her free time, Marina is an ardent student of classical Yoga, and teaches Yoga and Mindfulness in projects in her community.