DR.
KARIN KNEISSL
PERSONAL DATA
Dr. Karin Kneissl
Head of the G.O.R.K.I. Center of St. Petersburg University – Energy analyst – Author – Foreign
Minister of Austria (2017–2019).
Born on January 18th, 1965 in Vienna, Austria.
In September 2020, Karin Kneissl involuntarily left her home country as a result of persistent death
threats and a de facto ban on working in Austria. After a long search, she found a small farm in France
to make a new start. Yet, then she also had to leave France, too, due to the obstacles that the French
government put in her way.
In June 2022, she moved to Lebanon, where, after a marathon through the administration, she was
issued a residence permit and a tax number and, after six months in subletting, found a house in the
north of the country.
In June 2023, Karin Kneissl became a co-founder and head of the G.O.R.K.I Center of St. Petersburg
University. In September, she finally moved to St. Petersburg.
EDUCATION
1991–1992: Ecole Nationale d'Administration ENA Paris/France (Gambetta).
September 1991: Presentation of the dissertation in international law on the concept of borders in the
Middle East at the University of Vienna.
1989: Georgetown/USA Fellow at the Center for Contemporary Arab Studies 1991 with a Fulbright
Commission Scholarship.
1988: Postgraduate studies at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Israel, in International Relations
and at the University of Urbino, Italy, in European Law.
1983–1987: Studies of Law and Arabic at the University of Vienna. Graduated with Magister iuris and
Diploma of the United Nations in Arabic.
PROFESSIONAL CAREER
Since September 2023, Dr. Karin Kneissl has been heading the Geopolitical Observatory for Russia’s
Key Issues, which she founded. The center deals with issues such as Russia's energy strategy,
migration policy, demographic development in the context of the country's economic growth, Russia's
role in world politics and multilateral diplomacy in the post-hegemonic era.
Upon numerous requests, she delivers lectures at universities in Moscow, St. Petersburg,
Yekaterinburg, Khabarovsk and other Russian cities.
She regularly contributes to the Vedomosti newspaper and has been commenting on world affairs for
the multilingual RT channel since May 2020. From 2020 to 2022, Dr. Kneisl lectured at MGIMO and
the Higher School of Economics.
2017–2019: Independent Foreign Minister in the cabinet of Chancellor Sebastian Kurz, as well as in
the cabinet of experts of Chancellor Herwig Löger.
1998–2017: Freelance lecturer, speaker and writer; Independent correspondent for print media in
German-speaking countries and lecturer at: the University of Vienna (1995–2004); the Diplomatic
Academy Vienna (2000–2017); the European Business School/Rheingau (2007–2017); the Centre
International des Sciences de l'Homme Byblos/Lebanon; Université Saint Joseph Beirut; National
Defence Academy; and Military Academy since 2000 in the fields of: international law; history of the
Middle East; state implosions; energy market; among others.
1990–1998: in the foreign service of the Republic of Austria, among others in the Political
Department (1990–1991), Office of the legal advisor (1994) and in the Cabinet of the Federal Minister
(1993). Served at the embassy of Paris (1995) and Madrid (1996–1998).
PUBLICATIONS
Karin Kneissl has published on energy policy and international relations. Including 12 books and
numerous articles in various periodicals.
List of publications:
❖ Der Grenzbegriff der Konfliktparteien im Nahen Osten. Dissertation, Universität Wien, 1991.
❖ Hizbollah: Libanesische Widerstandsbewegung, islamische Terrorgruppe oder bloß eine
politische Partei? Eine Untersuchung der schiitischen Massenbewegung Hizbollah im libanesischen
und regionalen Kontext.
Landesverteidigungsakademie, Wien 2002, ISBN 3-901328-69-6.
❖ Der Energiepoker: Wie Erdöl und Erdgas die Weltwirtschaft beeinflussen. Finanzbuch Verlag,
München 2006, ISBN 3-89879-187-4; second revised edition 2008,
ISBN 978– 3-89879-448-0.
❖ Die Gewaltspirale: Warum Orient und Okzident nicht miteinander können. Ecowin, Salzburg
2007, ISBN 978-3-902404-39-8.
❖ Testosteron macht Politik.
Braumüller, Wien 2012, ISBN 978-3-99100-068-6.
❖ Die zersplitterte Welt: Was von der Globalisierung bleibt. Braumüller, Wien 2013, ISBN
978-3-99100– 086-0.
❖ Mein Naher Osten.
Braumüller, Wien 2014, ISBN 978-3-99100-112-6. 3E édition 2017.
❖ Prinz Eugen: Vom Außenseiter zum Genie Europas.
Belvedere, Wien 2014, ISBN 978-3-902805-58-4. Traduit en Russe en 2019.
❖ Wachablöse: Auf dem Weg in eine chinesische Weltordnung. Frank & Frei, Wien 2017, ISBN
978-3– 9504348-4-2.
❖ Die Mobilitätswende und ihre Brisanz für Gesellschaft und Weltwirtschaft. Vienne Éditions
Braumüller, September 2020. ISBN 978-3-99100-307-6.
❖ Diplomatie Macht Geschichte: Die Kunst des Dialogs in unsicheren Zeiten. Hildesheim.
Éditions Olms, June 2020. ISBN 978-3-487-08633-0.
❖ Requiem for Europe
ROSSPEN, Moscow 2024, ISBN 978–5-8243-2570-6.
MEMBERSHIPS
❖ She was elected "Independent Director of the Board" by Rosneft shareholders on June 2,
2021. The Russian energy company Rosneft is 40 percent state-owned, with 60 percent held by other
shareholders, including BP. Karin Kneissl was also appointed to the Strategy and Auditing
Committees. She resigned from her position as a member of the Board of Directors on May 20, 2022.
❖ Member of the Board at Wiener Städtische Wechselseitiger Versicherungsverein–
Vermögensverwaltung – Vienna Insurance Group since December 2016, terminated with ministerial
office in 2017.
❖ Karin Kneissl has been active in numerous charity institutions in Austria and Lebanon.
❖ She was elected as a member of the municipal council in Seibersdorf, Lower Austria,
2005–2010.
❖ On the scientific advisory board of the European Forum Alpbach, 2007–2010; of Academia
Superior, 2011–2012.
❖ Vice President of Whistleblowing Austria, founding member, 2011. Association was
dissolved in 2017.
❖ Vice President of the Society for Strategic and Political Studies STRATEG since 2003. In
March 2022 Karin Kneissl was removed from her post for political reasons.
FOREIGN LANGUAGES
Arabic
English
French
Italian
Spanish
Russian (intermediate level)
Hebrew (basic knowledge)
Hungarian (basic knowledge)
Website: www.kkneissl.com ; Telegram: @KarinKneisslofficial
