Ulli Lich has been a guest researcher in the Reiner Lemoine Institute Research Unit Off-Grid Systems since June 2020, focusing on the intersection of electrification and gender.

In 2021, Ulli also served as a researcher within the RLI Off-Grid team, leading the design and implementation of qualitative research as part of the PeopleSuN Project, aiming to optimize off-grid energy systems in Nigeria.

Alongside her work at RLI, Ulli is pursuing a PhD at the Research Centre for Pluralist Economics at the University of Siegen, where her research examines the nexus of electrification, gender, and empowerment. Using a combination of qualitative and quantitative methods, her doctoral thesis explores household dynamics, bargaining power, and gender roles in the context of electrification. She has gained significant practical experience in data collection, including two field research stays in Uganda and remote data collection in Nigeria.

Ulli holds a master’s degree in Development Economics and International Studies from the Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nuremberg and bachelor’s degrees in East Asian Studies, Sinology, and Political Economy from the University of Heidelberg. Throughout her academic journey, she has also studied and worked in China and South Africa, adding an international perspective to her research and professional experience.