Humanitarian Action in Armed Conflict: Law, Principles, Practice - Unit 2

Univ.-Prof. Dr. Andreas Oberprantacher, MA

is Professor of Practical Philosophy at the University of Innsbruck, where he heads the Unit for Peace and Conflict Studies and serves as Academic Coordinator of the MA Programme Peace and Conflict Studies. His research and teaching move at the intersection of political philosophy and Critical Peace and Conflict Studies, with a focus on contested citizenship, displacement, and the changing character of violence and war, including recent work on the security industry and algorithmic warfare. He has taught and lectured widely internationally, including in regions affected by armed conflict.

Univ.-Prof. Dr. Andreas Oberprantacher, MA

is Professor of Practical Philosophy at the University of Innsbruck, where he heads the Unit for Peace and Conflict Studies and serves as Academic Coordinator of the MA Programme Peace and Conflict Studies. His research and teaching move at the intersection of political philosophy and Critical Peace and Conflict Studies, with a focus on contested citizenship, displacement, and the changing character of violence and war, including recent work on the security industry and algorithmic warfare. He has taught and lectured widely internationally, including in regions affected by armed conflict.

Lisa Macheiner

has extensive experience working as Emergency Project Coordinator on medical and psychosocial projects with humanitarian organisations, including in Libya, Yemen, Iraq, Afghanistan, Jordan and, most recently, as Project Coordinator for Doctors without Borders in Gaza. Lisa holds a Master of Advanced Studies in International Law in Armed Conflict from the University of Geneva and a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from the University of Innsbruck.

Univ.-Prof. Dr. Matthias Christoph Kettemann, LLM

is Professor of Innovation, Theory and Philosophy of Law at the University of Innsbruck and head of the Institute for Theory and Future of Law. A scholar of international law, he studied law in Graz, Geneva and – as a Fulbright and Boas scholar – at Harvard Law School, and holds the venia for international law, internet law and legal theory. He also leads research programmes at the Leibniz Institute for Media Research | Hans-Bredow-Institut in Hamburg and the Humboldt Institute for Internet and Society in Berlin, and his current research addresses the regulation of artificial intelligence and the protection of human rights in digital contexts –questions of direct relevance to the future of International Humanitarian Law.

Natali Gbele

is a PhD candidate and research assistant at the Chair of International and Public Law at the Ludwig Maximilian University of Munich under the supervision of Prof. Dr. Christian Walter. Her PhD research focuses on the opacity of AI Decision Support Systems and the principle of distinction under international humanitarian law. Her research interests include emerging technologies in warfare and legal developments relating to Palestine.

Ruth Doyle

is a legal professional with over two decades’ experience working in international institutions, now specialising in Public International Law and International Humanitarian Law (IHL). As Vice-Chair of the Austrian Red Cross, Innsbruck, she aims to bridge the gap between legal theory and practical humanitarian action through education. Ruth holds a law degree from Trinity College Dublin and is currently an LL.M. Candidate in Public International Law. Her research focuses on State responsibility in two areas: the obligation to cooperate with International Criminal Court arrest warrants, and the obligation under the Geneva Conventions to disseminate and promote IHL.

Jürgen Högl

is Head of Department for Disaster and Crisis Management at the Austrian Red Cross. Jürgen has co-ordinated numerous international missions in disaster and crisis affected regions for Red Cross Red Crescent Movement, such as Ukraine, Lebanon, and Armenia. In 2025, Jürgen was Operations Manager in Egypt, where he co-ordinated the provision of humanitarian assistance to the Gaza Strip and Sudanese refugees in Egypt. Jürgen`s expertise encompasses operational planning, the coordination of emergency operations, and crisis management under volatile security conditions.

Christopher Friedrich

is working with the Austrian Red Cross as “Standing Surge” Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) Coordinator, deploying to disaster and crisis situations. He brings over 15 years of engagement with the Emergency Response Unit for WASH. He deployed to Syria, Gaza, Bangladesh, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Jamaica, and many other contexts, leading assessments, coordinating WASH responses, facilitating trainings, and supporting partners with technical advice on the ground.