About

Nina Welters studied for her Master's degree in Geography at the Rheinische Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universität Bonn from 2018 to 2021. In her Master's thesis, she dealt with the role of regional networks in the spatial and content-related definition of regions. In particular, she analysed the characteristic attributions and intentions of their targeted use by selected regional networks in the region "Rhineland". She showed how influential the media communication of the actors is for both the external establishment and the internal stabilisation of the region´s image. By analysing the content of regional representations, she was also able to work out how closely economic and political positions of power and their legitimation are linked to them.

In her dissertation, she deals with different understandings of wilderness and the role that wildlife and practices of place(-making) play in this. Using her practice-theoretical approach, she investigates in Namibia not only why certain species of wildlife are particularly popular and valued locally and in social media, but also how the country's colonial past continues to influence different places and practices in relation to wilderness to this day.

Education and career

• Since 04/2021: Research assistant in the DFG Graduate School "Practicing Place: Sociocultural Practices and Epistemic Configurations" and PhD student at the Chair of Human Geography.
• 10/2018-3/2021: Master's degree in geography at the Rheinische Friedrich-Wilhelms-Universität Bonn. Master's thesis on "The importance of regional networks for the representation and characterisation of regions using the example of the Rhineland".
• 10/2015-9/2018: Bachelor's degree in geography at the Catholic University of Eichstätt-Ingolstadt. Bachelor thesis on the topic "The significance of spatial constructions in politically motivated conflicts - using the example of the B56-G40-NW infrastructure project in the Bonn/Rhein-Sieg district".

Research interests – topics

• Human-Environment-Studies
• Human-Animal-Geographies
• More-than-human Geographies
• Wilderness
• Practice Theory
• Place & Space
• Geographical Conflict Studies
• Post-/Neocolonialism

Research interests – regions

• Germany (Rhineland)
• Southern Africa (Namibia)