About Sally-Ann Jennifer Fischer
German Sport University, Germany
Sally-Ann Jennifer Fischer is a Research Associate and PhD Candidate at the Institute of European Sport Development and Leisure Studies at the German Sport University Cologne. Her academic and professional work is rooted in the field of Sport for Development, with a particular focus on climate protection, the integration of refugees and displaced persons, and policy advocacy for sport for development organizations. Sally-Ann’s doctoral research explores the integration of climate protection within the sport for development sector, critically examining how existing power relations between the Global South and the Global North influence the pursuit of climate justice. Her current work focuses on mapping key areas within the academic literature and identifying relationships and practices across the sector that shape how climate protection is understood and enacted. In addition to her research, Sally-Ann is actively involved in teaching at the university, with a focus on current sport politics, theoretical and conceptual foundations of sport for development, and the practical implementation of sport for development initiatives. She also represents her institute in the UNHCR Sport for Refugees Coalition and contributes to the delivery of several European Union-funded projects that aim to strengthen the role of sport in social inclusion and sustainable development. Deeply committed to democratic values, Sally-Ann is an advocate for sustainable development grounded in social justice, and brings this perspective to her work across academia, policy, and practice.