Dr. Medinat Malefakis

Instructor

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Biography

Medinat Malefakis is a senior lecturer and MAS program coordinator at ETH NADEL. She acts as program manager for Humanitarian Partnerships within the ETH Development (ETH4D) framework. Her expertise lies in academic policy-oriented research on terrorism, conflict, peacebuilding, conflict-related sexual violence, and humanitarian displacement, with extensive experience in international development cooperation and the intersection of digital technologies in these domains. Her geographical focus is on the Lake Chad region of West Africa, while she has also worked in various contexts in East and Southern Africa. Medinat's research delves into the cultural and social dimensions of development cooperation, emphasizing colonial hegemonies and decolonization paradigms. Her professional trajectory includes significant roles at the Global Survivors Fund, Collegium Helveticum (ETH Zurich), the Norwegian Refugee Council, and the Berlin Social Science Centre. She also holds leadership positions on several boards, including Saferworld and Fairpicture, and contributes to the Swiss Commission for Research Partnerships with Developing Countries. Medinat's academic work is supported by her involvement in global cooperation initiatives and partnerships.

Research Interests

Experience

Senior Lecturer

— Present

ETH NADEL • Zürich, Switzerland

Senior lecturer and MAS program coordinator, focusing on humanitarian partnerships and development cooperation.

Program Manager

— Present

ETH Development (ETH4D) • Zürich, Switzerland

Manages humanitarian partnerships within the ETH Development framework.

Country Lead

— Present

Global Survivors Fund • Nigeria

Country lead for humanitarian efforts in Nigeria.

Post-Doctoral Researcher

— Present

Berlin Social Science Centre (WZB) • Berlin, Germany

Conducted research in social sciences with a focus on conflict and development.

Courses

Model United Nations - International Policy-Making Contemporary Development Debate Fragile Contexts – Nexus Humanitarian Aid, Peace Development

Requirements for ETH Zurich

Master Program
Requirements
GPA Requirement
Required:3.4
IELTS
Overall
Required:7
TOEFL
Total
Required:100
GRE General
Verbal
Required:159
Verbal Percentile
Required:80
Quantitative
Required:168
Quantitative Percentile
Required:81
Analytical Writing
Required:4.5
Writing Percentile
Required:85
Prerequisites
Bachelor's degree in a related field (Engineering, Natural Sciences, or Mathematics) Minimum 180 ECTS credits Subject-specific knowledge equivalent to ETH Bachelor's programs
Application Checklist
  • Bachelor's degree diploma or transcript
  • Official academic transcripts
  • Curriculum Vitae (CV)
  • Letter of Motivation (1 page)
  • Two academic recommendation letters
  • English language proficiency certificate
  • GRE General Test (for non-EU/EFTA applicants)
Specialization Notes

The GRE is mandatory for students who did not obtain their Bachelor's degree in an EU/EFTA state. Some departments (e.g., Computer Science) have specific ECTS credit requirements in core subjects.