German American Conference 2025

Dr. Robert Dehghan is a researcher at the Department of SME Research and Entrepreneurship at the University of Mannheim. His academic work focuses on the diffusion and adoption of emerging technologies, such as AI, blockchain and additive manufacturing, and he has completed a research stay at Stanford University. Alongside his academic role, Robert is the co-founder and COO of ISTARI.AI, a German AI-based market intelligence company that provides real-time industry and regional insights via proprietary webAI technology, serving clients in both the public and private sectors.

Dr. Jan Lüdert is Head of Programs at the German Center for Research and Innovation (DWIH) New York. Jan earned a Ph.D. in Political Science from the University of British Columbia (UBC). He holds Harvard Kennedy’s School Public Leadership Credential; a First-Class Honors MA in International Relations from the Australian National University; and a BA in Public Policy from Hamburg University for Economics and Politics. He previously served as Associate Professor at City University of Seattle where he was the inaugural Director of Curriculum and Instruction. He held positions as Visiting Research Scholar at the Ralph Bunche Institute for International Studies at City University of New York's Graduate Center as well as Research Associate with the DFG 'Dynamics of Security' project at Philipps Marburg University. He is an alumnus of Seattle's World Affairs Council Fellows and UBC Liu Institute for Global Issues Scholar programs.