Securing a democratic future for all through scientific expertise and sustainable management.Health, education, and memory. According to my late grandfather, those are the three essential elements for survival irrespective of the circumstances. A healthy body serves as the foundation, which allows the bright minds to continually create, with regards to precious lessons passed on from generation to generation. Bearing this wisdom in mind and under the influence of my (equally chemist) father, I consistently pursued and eventually acquired the physical chemistry professorship at the Humboldt University of Berlin. Since 2010, I have been appointed as professor of the Department of Electronic Engineering at the University of New Hampshire. Being an advocate for lifelong education, I sincerely take joy in every moment of discovering and challenging the border of knowledge. Outside academia, I have been establishing and leading knowledge-driven entities that aim to unite individuals and their ingenious ideas worldwide for more than 20 years. The latest honour goes to my presidency of IOSI, a society-focused organization with an emphasis on strengthening security and intelligence in this era of globalization. As an international team of experts, our utmost priority is to eradicate existing and emerging security threats with practical solutions. Our endeavours work hand in hand with those implemented by public and private actors on the road to universal democracy and human rights. Other specialities of mine span across the fields of:- Optoelectronics (joint founder of OUT e.V.)- Aviation Security (founder and consultant of European Aviation Security Center e.V.)- Safety for underground transport systems (founder as well as a consultant of tu-sec and siu-x) My years-long research has successfully led to impactful inventions such as:- Fire-watch: a modern instrument against the large scale of deforestation resulting from bush-fire- Gate of Trust: a security measure based on interpersonal trust and radio-logical detection technologies, which has to date proven crucial for streamlining the process of airport security checksWhenever communication is concerned, I am a steadfast practitioner of mutual respect, eye-level communication, and empathy. My personal experience of living abroad on three different continents and professional travelling has also equipped me with solid intercultural competence.