Sandra (Elizabeth) Zapata mafla
Postdoctoral Research Fellow
Experience
May 2025 - Present
9 monthsPostdoctoral Research Fellow
Ca’ Foscari University of Venice
- Working in the Department of Comparative Linguistic and Cultural Studies, sector History and Institutions of the Americas
- Project: “EU-LAC Relations in Times of US-China Confrontation: Explaining the Discrepancy between Pro-China Rhetoric and Pragmatic Actions of Peripheral Countries in Multilateral Forums”
Nov 2024 - Present
1 year 3 monthsErlangen, Germany
Language Teacher
Steuben Sprachschule Institute
- Delivering Spanish for Business courses
- Teaching Spanish for culture and travel
Mar 2023 - Dec 2024
1 year 10 monthsErlangen, Germany
Lecturer, International Business Relations
Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg
- Delivered lectures on International Business Relations (IBR)
Mar 2022 - Present
3 years 11 monthsBonn, Germany
Consultant and Land Analyst Trainer
Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit
- Training German experts and executives in international cooperation and development policies
- Providing tailored information and analysis focused on the Ecuador case
Nov 2020 - May 2025
4 years 7 monthsNuremberg, Germany
Postdoctoral Researcher
Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg
- Researcher in the EU-funded Jean Monnet bi-regional project “The reconfiguration of the EU presence in Latin America (EUinLAC)”
- Focus on EU-LAC relations in times of China-USA competition
Jun 2020 - Present
5 years 8 monthsNuremberg, Germany
Language Teacher
Sprachschule Aktiv Institute
- Conducting training courses in Spanish for Business
- Offering Spanish for culture and travel instruction
Nov 2017 - Feb 2018
4 monthsSanto Domingo, Dominican Republic
Advisor for International Cooperation
Dominican Institute for Integral Development (IDDI)
- Fostered public-private partnerships aligned with national development priorities
- Crafted collaboration projects with civil society, local government, and the private sector
Aug 2017 - Nov 2017
4 monthsHamburg, Germany
Visiting Researcher
German Institute for Global and Area Studies (GIGA)
- Led research on South-South Cooperation in Latin American foreign policies: the case of Ecuador 2000-2015
- Fostered academic and scientific collaboration with partner institutions
Jan 2017 - Jul 2017
7 monthsSalamanca, Spain
Associate Researcher
Latin American Faculty of Social Sciences (FLACSO Ecuador)
- Coordinated academic and logistical activities for the CEISAL panel “Regional processes in LA between rhetoric and pragmatism in the 21st century”
Aug 2016 - Nov 2016
4 monthsHamburg, Germany
Visiting Researcher
German Institute for Global and Area Studies (GIGA)
- Received training in research methodologies in international relations
Jan 2016 - Dec 2018
3 yearsSalamanca, Spain
Associate Researcher
Latin American Faculty of Social Sciences (FLACSO Spain)
- Coordinated academic activities including seminars, symposia, CEISAL and ICA congresses, and conferences in Political Science under Dr. Manuel Alcántara’s guidance
Aug 2013 - Oct 2013
3 monthsBuenos Aires, Argentina
Consultant
San Martín National University (UNSAM)
- Led the “Dynamics of political and economic cooperation in Iberoamerica” project
- Mapped national actors and government institutions involved in international cooperation in Brazil and Venezuela
Jun 2013 - Dec 2015
2 years 7 monthsQuito, Ecuador
Project Coordinator of International Cooperation
Korean International Cooperation Agency (KOICA)
- Managed nationwide development projects across energy, health, education, and capacity building with a $20 million budget over four years
- Negotiated, selected, executed, monitored, and evaluated projects
- Led a team of four to oversee the Volunteer Program, Scholarship Program, and Expert & Professional Trainings
Feb 2013 - May 2013
4 monthsQuito, Ecuador
Analyst for International Cooperation
National Secretariat for Higher Education (SENESCYT)
- Led negotiations with bilateral and multilateral agencies
- Formalized memorandums of understanding in science and technology
- Ensured project alignment with Ecuador’s development priorities
Aug 2010 - Jul 2011
1 yearQuito, Ecuador
Consultant in International Cooperation
Technical Secretariat for International Cooperation (SETECI)
- Facilitated the formulation of the Ecuadorian Strategy for South-South Cooperation
- Assisted local governments in consolidating cooperation priorities
- Coordinated national workshops to build a regional SSC agenda with LAC governments and organizations
Sep 2009 - Jan 2012
2 years 5 monthsQuito, Ecuador
Research Assistant
Latin American Faculty of Social Sciences (FLACSO Ecuador)
- Contributed to academic articles for Cooperamos and Línea Sur
- Prepared reports on South-South cooperation and regionalism in Latin America
Sep 2008 - Aug 2009
1 yearEcuador
Analyst on Migration
Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Ecuador
- Evaluated refugee status applications
- Coordinated human rights workshops with UNHCR, NGOs, Jesuit Refugee Service, HIAS, and IOM
Skills
- Iramuteq Software: Content And Discourse Analysis/ Text-as-data Methods
- Geoda Software: Maps And Cartography In Social Science
- Social Networks: Twitter In Social Sciences
- Microsoft Office: Word, Excel, Powerpoint, Outlook
- Refworks: Database Management
Languages
Spanish
NativeEnglish
AdvancedItalian
AdvancedGerman
IntermediateFrench
Intermediate ...and 1 more
Education
Jan 2016 - Oct 2020
University of Salamanca
PhD in Social Sciences · Social Sciences · Salamanca, Spain
Aug 2011 - Mar 2013
Seoul National University
Master in International Development Policy · International Development Policy · Korea, Republic of
Sep 2009 - Jan 2012
Latin American Faculty of Social Sciences (FLACSO Ecuador)
Master in International Relations · International Relations · Quito, Ecuador
...and 1 more
Certifications & licenses
TOEFL 100/120
DELF B2
Dante Alighieri Certificate, advanced level
Need a freelancer? Find your match in seconds.
Try FRATCH GPT More actions
Similar Freelancers
Discover other experts with similar qualifications and experience
Roberta Alessandrini
Corporate Trainer
View Profile
Kerstin Wirnshofer
Specialist Translator/Reviewer/Editor
View Profile
Andrés Landoni
Professor of History
View Profile
Bartolome Morena
Language Teacher / Cover Supervisor
View Profile
Vyvyan Evans
Content Writer and Researcher
View Profile
David Huber
Consultant for AI Strategy and Digitization
View Profile
Joël Doat
Teacher
View Profile
Carolyn Shwash
Senior Business Development Manager
View Profile
Maxim Anikeev
External Lecturer (Privatdozent)
View Profile
Peter Kostić
Next Level Coach Sales Accelerator Business
View Profile
Dany-armand Djeudeu-deudjui
Senior Data Scientist
View Profile
Sara Osti
Italian Translator and Annotator
View Profile
Alexandra Volkwein
Consultant
View Profile
Christian Liberty marshall
Communications Writer | Creative Concept Manager
View Profile
Julia Goering
Negotiation Coach
View Profile
Viktoria Mall
Marketing Manager, Entrepreneur, Project Manager, Coach & Psychologist
View Profile
Caroline Liss
Founder
View Profile
Sascha Jürgens
Agile Coach & Partner
View Profile
Matthias Bullmahn
Interim Change Manager
View Profile
Heather Nehring
International Trainer and Coach
View Profile
Violetta Pleshakova
Co-Founder, Marketing Director & Coach
View Profile
Paula Panova
Project Supervisor
View Profile
Federico Barbieri
Italian And English Teacher
View Profile
Stefan Manahl
Project Manager
View Profile
Barbara Sowa
Trainee Participant
View Profile
Bastian Lindberg
Coach & Trainer
View Profile
Ravinder Kaur
HR Recruiter
View Profile
Brahim Bouali
Management Consultant
View Profile
Philipp Grunert
Data Scientist & Data Engineer
View Profile
Virgilia Jansen-preilowski
Trainer & Consultant
View Profile
