Marit Berchner studied environmental policy and planning at the Freie Universität Berlin and the Technische Universität Berlin, and completed semesters abroad at the American University in Cairo and the Université Paris-Sorbonne. Her interest in renewable energy led her to work for the Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit (GIZ), the Institute for Advanced Sustainability Studies (IASS) and other institutes. In Tunisia, she worked in the office of the German-Tunisian Energy Partnership. As a Mercator Fellow, she will focus on integrated concepts for sustainable energy access, taking into account water scarcity and climate change.