Dr. Elke Kaschl Mohni took office as Regional Director of the Goethe-Institut for Southwest Europe in Brussels in July 2019. She has been with the Goethe-Institut for more than 15 years, holding positions as Regional Director Middle East/North Africa in Cairo and Head of Strategy in Munich headquarters as well as directing the institutes in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia and Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates. She graduated with a PhD in Middle Eastern Studies from the University of Berne, with a thesis on “Dance and Authenticity in Israel and Palestine: Performing the Nation”. Her MA is in Contemporary Arab Studies from Georgetown University, with a focus on politics and cultural studies. Throughout her work with the Goethe-Institut, Elke Kaschl Mohni has maintained a strong interest in trans-Mediterranean cultural engagement, enabling border-crossings and creative entanglements against the grain of established categories.