Magdalena Kloss lived with her family in several countries (India, Finland, Germany and Italy) before returning to Vienna, Austria, at the age of fifteen. After a volunteer experience in rural Ghana, Ms. Kloss started studying Social and Cultural Anthropology at the University of Vienna, specializing in Islam and the Middle East, development and migration issues. She participated in research projects among Muslim communities in Vienna and wrote her dissertation on concepts of masculinity among young Muslims in Austria. While studying, Ms. Kloss also interned twice at the United Nations World Food Program (WFP) in Rome and worked as a tour guide in one of Vienna’s most renowned art museums. Having completed her studies in Vienna, she worked as Junior Technical Advisor for the German Development Service (DED) in Sana’a, Yemen. On behalf of GTZ and the Yemeni Ministries of Youth, Health and Social Affairs, she designed and conducted a countrywide assessment of youth organizations. Ms. Kloss then completed a master’s degree in Anthropology and Development at the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE). Upon her return to Vienna in October, she started setting up an LSE-affiliated project which aims to link anthropologists with development practitioners. Ms. Kloss also works as a freelance consultant for a private foundation which supports innovative charity projects in Austria and Eastern Europe. She speaks German, English, Italian and French, some Arabic, and a little bit of Spanish.
