Our Board of Advisors

Stefan is the founder of Sinotan, working with his team at the intersection of Digital Innovation, Culture and Policy. His expertise lies in China’s rapidly changing digital landscape, policy ecosystem and societal transformation. Sinotan works with leading companies and regional governments, developing holistic win-win partnerships and localized strategies. Aligned with China’s cultural strategy he co-founded Sinotan Art Ventures, providing art appreciation courses, online art internships and competitions. Stefan lived in China and was the Asia Strategy Manager for KUKA, a leading robotics automation company. He teaches German-Chinese Business Management and International Business Development at the SRH University in Germany.

Matthias Stepan is a researcher and experienced manager with a working record in many different sectors. To add two of his most recent appointments, he served as Chief Representative of Stiftung Mercator to China (2019-2023), as a member of the management board and as co-director of the research area Politics, Society and Media he worked at the Mercator Institute for China Studies – MERICS (2014-2019). In the late 2000s, he was contributing as a junior expert to the “EU-China Social Security Reform Cooperation Project” and had extended stays as visiting scholar at prestigious Chinese universities. His publications include peer-reviewed articles in leading scientific journals, policy reports, and policy briefs. A Mandarin speaker, Stepan spent more than five years living in China. He has traveled widely in the country. Furthermore, he gained work experience in major German companies, such as Siemens and Mercedes-Benz.

Ms Paulo is Head of Management of the Centre for EU-Asia Connectivity (CEAC), a Jean Monnet Centre of Excellence, at Ruhr-Universität of Bochum (RUB), Germany. In addition, she is a lecturer and research associate in the Department of ‘International Political Economy of East Asia’ at the Faculty of East Asian Studies. In addition to academia, she is a listed foreign Arbitrator/Mediator at the Shanghai International Arbitration Center and a Senior Consultant at A&Z Law Firm. Her expertise is proven by more than fifteen years of research work, government relations, legal industry, business internationalisation, marketing and communication between Asia and Europe/USA. Ms Paulo possesses broad international experience, having worked in several countries (China, Indonesia, India, Belgium, Germany, Panama, and Venezuela) across a variety of industries, namely universities, the private sector, NGOs, as well as EU institutions (European Commission) and international organisations (UNHCR).

Kjeld van Wieringen works as a Policy Analyst at the European Parliamentary Research Service (EPRS) in Brussels. He has degrees in History (BA) and Conflict Studies and Human Rights (MA) from Utrecht University, in European and International Governance (MSc) from the Free University of Brussels, and studied Mandarin in China. He previously assisted with research at the Conflict Research Unit of the Clingendael Institute in The Hague and with development work in the Democratic Republic of Congo. Kjeld has published on African conflicts and now primarily analyses EU–China relations. He speaks Dutch, English, French, German and Mandarin Chinese.