Mina Trpkovic

Doctoral Researcher

Mina Trpkovic is a Doctoral Researcher in the LOEWE Group World Orders in Conflict at PRIF and a Research Associate in the Research Depart­ment International Institutions. Her research focuses on the effects of dis­information on the Euro­pean security order.

Mina Trpkovic
 Press photo

CV

| since 2024
Docto­ral Researcher at PRIF

| 2022–2024
Graduate Student Assistant at Marsilius-Kolleg (Heidel­berger Institute for Advanced Study), Heidel­berg University

| 2022
ERASMUS+ Graduate Studies Abroad at Sciences Po, Paris School of Inter­national Affairs (PSIA), Paris

| 2021–2024
M.A. in Political Science at Heidel­berg University

| 2021–2022
Graduate Student Assistant at the Insti­tute of Politi­cal Science (Chair of Political Science), Heidel­berg University

| 2021
Project Assistant at Munich Security Confe­rence (MSC)

| 2017–2021
B.A. in Political Science (major) and Psycho­logy (minor) at Heidelberg University

PhD Project

The European Commission recognized disinformation as a major challenge in 2018, highlighting its detrimental impact on trust in institutions and media, and its ability to hinder well-informed decision-making in democracies. Additionally, foreign interference and the COVID-19 pandemic have amplified the geopolitical threat of disinformation. Social media technologies have facilitated the spread of false information, which has proven difficult and costly for states and international organizations like the EU to counteract. Although disinformation exploits societal divisions, leading to polarization and undermining security, it remains unclear what effect it truly has on institutions such as the EU as assessing the impact has been proven difficult. This PhD project aims to address this research gap by analyzing the extent to which disinformation affects the EU by assessing origins, impacts, and methods to combat disinformation at various levels within the EU. Using a mixed-method approach, the thesis will evaluate the micro- (individuals), meso- (media landscape), and macro-level (public discourse) effects of disinformation from 2019 to 2024, including its impact on elections and the pandemic prevention. This PhD project is part of the LOEWE Research Group World Orders in Conflict. 

Publications

  • Sustainability in Higher Education
    | 2024
    Esser, Paul; Trpkovic, Mina (2024): Sustainability in Higher Education. Engaging Students and Universities in Co-Creating Sustainable Learning Environments, Heidelberg Inspirations for Innovative Teaching (HINT), 5: 1, 233–245. DOI: 10.11588/hint.2024.1.108598
    Publication
  • The Use of Non-verbal Displays in Framing COVID-19 Disinformation in Europe: An Exploratory Account
    | 2022
    Dumitrescu, D.; Trpkovic, Mina (2022): The Use of Non-verbal Displays in Framing COVID-19 Disinformation in Europe: An Exploratory Account, Frontiers in Psychology, 13. DOI: https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2022.846250

  • Croatia–Slovenia (Border dispute)
    | 2020
    Trpkovic, Mina (2020): Croatia–Slovenia (Border dispute), in: Heidelberg Institute for International Conflict Research (eds), Conflict Barometer, 29.
  • Croatia–Slovenia (Border dispute)
    | 2019
    Trpkovic, Mina (2019): Croatia–Slovenia (Border dispute), in: Heidelberg Institute for International Conclict Research (eds), Conflict barometer, 28.

  • Belgrad ist (wieder) die Welt? Protestzyklen und politische Transformation in Serbien
    | 2025
    Stühlen, Christin; Trpkovic, Mina (2025): Belgrad ist (wieder) die Welt? Protestzyklen und politische Transformation in Serbien, FJSB-Plus: 2025/09.
    Publication
  • Uprisings in Serbia
    | 2025
    Trpkovic, Mina; Stühlen, Christin (2025): Uprisings in Serbia. Struggle(s) against a resilient regime, PRIF Spotlight, 2, Frankfurt/M. DOI: 10.48809/prifspot2502
  • Going Back or Going Global: The End of the West and the Future Role of the MSC
    | 2025
    Deitelhoff, Nicole; Trpkovic, Mina (2025): Going Back or Going Global: The End of the West and the Future Role of the MSC, PRIF Blog.
    Publication
  • Germany’s Fragmented Approach to Disinformation in 2025 Elections
    | 2025
    Trpkovic, Mina (2025): Germany’s Fragmented Approach to Disinformation in 2025 Elections, PRIF Blog.
    Publication
  • Going to the Polls (Dis)Informed?
    | 2024
    Trpkovic, Mina (2024): Going to the Polls (Dis)Informed?. The Role of Disinformation in the Upcoming US Elections, PRIF Blog.
    Publication

Further Activities

  • Panel at the Frankfurt School of Economics: US Elections & Global Economic Dynamics