Tim Wegenast
I am currently an interim professor at the Chair of International Politics. Previously, I held research and teaching positions as an interim professor for Political Science at the University of Mannheim, the University of Konstanz, and Zeppelin University. I was also a research fellow at the German Institute of Global and Area Studies in Hamburg, a visiting fellow at the John F. Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University, and a visiting lecturer at the University of Lucerne (Switzerland). I obtained my Ph.D. in Political Science from Pompeu Fabra University in Barcelona.
My academic work lies at the intersection of development studies, international political economy, and peace and conflict research. In the past years, I have studied how the use and governance of natural resources (including minerals, oil, and agricultural land) affect local livelihoods and various forms of social conflict. I have also investigated different causes of intrastate violence, including ethnicity, religion, and climate change. My current research interests include climate change adaptation, agriculture and food security, customary governance, socio-ecological consequences of large-scale land acquisitions, communal conflict, and sustainable rural development.
Areas of Interest
Areas of Interest
- Governance of natural resources and land
- Sustainable rural development
- Peace and conflict studies
- Climate change adaptation
- Social inequalities
- Traditional political institutions and customary governance
Current Research
My current research addresses how to promote more sustainable forms of resource extraction and land use to strengthen local livelihoods, adapt to climate change and raise social justice. Among other topics, I am investigating the role of traditional political institutions, agroecological practices, and women's land rights in fostering food security and climate resilience. I am also interested in the determinants and consequences of large-scale land acquisitions in the Global South, the implications of land use change for social conflict, and the use of voluntary sustainability standards and corporate social responsibility within the extractive sector.
Curriculum Vitae
CV
Publication list