Dr Michael Harms is Deputy Secretary General of the DAAD and oversees the DAAD's Berlin Office, to which Germany Close Up belongs. Prior to taking up the position of Deputy Secretary General in January 2022, Dr Harms held various management positions within the DAAD, most recently Director of Communications (2015-2021), Director of the Program Department South (2014), and Director of the Regional Office Cairo (2010-2014). From 2006 to 2008, he was Head of the Department for International Cooperation of the German Rectors' Conference. Dr Harms also spent several years teaching at universities in Germany (Ruhr University Bochum, 1997-1998) and the UK (University of East Anglia, Norwich, 1993-1997). Dr Harms received his doctorate in language learning research from the Ruhr University Bochum in 2003. He studied History, English language and literature, and German linguistics at the CAU Kiel.
Kathleen Gransow has been program director of Germany Close Up since March 2021. Prior to this, she was program coordinator for over ten years since 2010. She began working for Germany Close Up as a guide in 2009. She holds a Master’s degree in Film Studies and English Language and Literature from the Freie Universität, Berlin and also studied at UCL, London.
Martine Perry has been working as a Germany Close Up program coordinator since February 2012. She holds a Bachelor's degree with majors in Political Science and German from the University of Melbourne and a Master's degree in Political Science from the Freie Universität, Berlin.