Jakob Steinkötter is an aspiring urban researcher who holds a bachelor's degree in urban and regional planning from TU Berlin and is currently studying in the master's program European Urban Studies (EUS) at Bauhaus-Universität Weimar, Germany. His research focuses on urban transformations in Southeastern Europe, particularly examining the intersections of Europeanization, rising authoritarianism and sustainable urban development. During his research stay in Tirana, he participated in the Congress of Young Europeans 2025.