(1) Research Interests
- Contemporary Chinese History and Politics
- Sino-Western Relations
- History of Western China Expertise
- Foreign and Security Policy
(2) PhD-Project: China Expertise in the Federal Republic of Germany (1960s-1980s)
This dissertation explores the role of China experts and connoisseurs in shaping West German–Chinese relations during the transformative period of the long 1970s. While the diplomatic rapprochement between the People’s Republic of China (PRC) and Western countries is often framed as a product of high-level Cold War strategy, this project adopts a broader perspective. It shifts the focus from solely political leadership to the contributions of public intellectuals, scholars, and professionals with in-depth knowledge of China.
By examining figures such as Klaus Mehnert and other experts from disciplines like political science, Sinology, and law, the project investigates how they acted as mediators and helped build political, economic, and cultural ties between the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG) and the PRC. In parallel, it analyzes how both state and private actors began to recognize the need for China-related expertise – and how such expertise was institutionalized during this time. The study contributes to a more nuanced understanding of international relations as not just governmental, but also transnational and knowledge-driven.
(3) Papers and Interviews
(Conference-)Papers
„Pekingologie und wissenschaftliche China-Expertise in Deutschland nach 1949: Zur Scharnierfunktion des Sinologen Wolfgang Franke (1912–2007)“
(Lecture at the Berlin State Library as part of the CrossAsia Talk series (November 2024)
„Neue Praktiken, veränderte Zuschreibungen: Westliche China‐Expertise im Umbruch der frühen 1970er Jahre“ (Conference Hamburg, September 2024)
“Das Fremde deuten und vermitteln: Zur Geschichte von China-Expertise in der Bonner Republik (1949-1990)” (University of Würzburg, June 2024)
„Constructing China: On the Discursive Formation of a Rising Power (1950s-1970s)” (Conference Rostock, September 2023)
„Constructing China: Zur diskursiven Formung einer Weltmacht im Wiederaufstieg (1950er-1970er Jahre)“ (Lecture Hamburg, March 2023)
„China-Expertise und Außenpolitik: Akteure, Formen und Modi chinabezogener Politikberatung in der Bundesrepublik (1960er-1990er Jahre)“ (Workshop Hannover, February 2023)
„Blackbox Volksrepublik China? Zur Geschichte der China-Expertise in der Bundesrepublik (1949-heute)“ (Hamburg, November 2022)
„China-Expertise, Expertise for China: Sino-German Relations Revisited (1960s-1980s)” (Colloquium Hongkong, September 2022)
„Überlegungen zu einer Politik- und Wissensgeschichte deutscher China-Expertise (1960er bis 1990er Jahre)“ (Workshop Studienstiftung des deutschen Volkes Berlin, June 2022)
„Der politische Wiederaufstieg Chinas und die deutschen China-Kenner (1970-1975)“ (Workshop Helmut-Schmidt-University Hamburg, November 2021)
„Ermächtigung des „schlafenden Riesen“? Der Aufstieg Chinas und die westlichen Intellektuellen (1930er-1980er Jahre)“ (Colloquium Geschichtswissenschaft, Helmut-Schmidt-University Hamburg, October 2021)
„Ermächtigung des „schlafenden Riesen“? Der Aufstieg Chinas und die westlichen Intellektuellen (1930er-1980er Jahre)“ (South German Colloquium, September 2021)
„Revolution Revisited. Heuristic Perspectives on Revolutions as Analytical Category” (Workshop Peking University, February 2016)
„Das Konzept von ‚Erbe und Tradition‘ im Rahmen der systemischen Kommunikation in der DDR – Hintergründe, Implikationen und Folgen eines Paradigmenwechsels“ (Colloquium Modern History University of Konstanz, April 2014)
Interviews and Podcasts
„Erfolg durch Förderung” – Interview on Study Funding by Talent Promotion Organizations at the Bundeswehr Universities, August 20, 2024, available at: https://www.hsu-hh.de/erfolg-durch-foerderung-informationen-zu-stipendien-an-der-hsu-unibw-h
“China und die Neuordnung der Welt. Eine Buchbesprechung“ – Discussion with sinologist Susanne Weigelin-Schwiedrzik on China as a great power in the 20th/ 21st Century, WebTalk ChinaPlus of the Friedrich Naumann Stiftung (September 4th, 2024).
„Webtalk ChinaPlus: Chinesische Stimmen aus der Gegenwart“ – Discussion with journalist and author Shi Ming on contemporary Chinese thought, WebTalk ChinaPlus of the Friedrich Naumann Stiftung (November 27th, 2023); available online: abrufbar unter: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ys1wfGwPv0A.
„Zur Rolle Europas im geopolitischen Konflikt zwischen den USA und China“ – as Guest on WDR 5 Politikum - Der Meinungspodcast for some reflections on the role of Europe in the geopolitical conflict between the USA and China, URL: https://www.ardaudiothek.de/sendung/wdr-5-politikum/46798088/
„Die deutsche China-Strategie – Spotlight Asia Live“ – as Speaker at the Thinktank Polis 180 for some reflections on German China-Policy (August 9th, 2023)
„Spionagegefahr: Welches Risiko geht vom "China Scholarship Council" aus?“ - Interview with Marie Illner (web.de) about the Chinese Scholarship Council, URL: https://web.de/magazine/panorama/spionagegefahr-risiko-china-scholarship-council-38502488
"Auslandskorrespondent:innen & Journalismus“ – Reflections on the history of foreign correspondents in the twentieth century, Workshop at Helmut-Schmidt-University (April 28th, 2023), URL: https://geschichteeuropas.podigee.io/b185-185
„Deutscher China-Kurs – wie viel Wandel ist nötig?“ – as China-Expert on NDR Info „Redezeit“ (April 18th, 2023); URL: https://www.ndr.de/nachrichten/info/epg/Deutscher-China-Kurs-wie-viel-Wandel-ist-noetig,sendung1341970.html
„Deutsche Chinapolitik: Was ist die richtige Balance?“ – Interview with tagesschau.de; URL: https://www.tagesschau.de/inland/regional/schleswigholstein/ndr-deutsche-chinapolitik-was-ist-die-richtige-balance-100.html
„Sicherheitsbereich – Ein Symbol der Abschottung“ - Interview with NDR-Info (May 7th, 2021) about the planned conversion of Helmut Schmidt University into a military security area
(4) Conferences organized
“Experts” in the 20th Century: Between Academia, Public Discourse, and Politics (Hamburg, September 19-20, 2024)
[Interdisciplinary Conference, funded by the Fritz Thyssen Foundation and the Academy of Sciences and Humanities in Hamburg; Conference Report: https://www.hsozkult.de/conferencereport/id/fdkn-150677]
(5) Teachings
The History of the Federal Republic of Germany in the Long 1950s
Winter Trimester 2025
Undergraduate Seminar
(held in German)
The History of Experts and Intellectuals in the Early Years of the Federal Republic (1949-1969)
Winter Trimester 2025
Seminar
(held in German)
China Expertise in Germany in the 20th Century
Spring Trimester 2024
Course
(held in German)
Writing Global History
Spring Trimester 2024
Course
(held in German)
War, Civil War and Revolution: On the History of Violence and Military History in China in the 20th Century
Winter Trimester 2024
Seminar
(held in German)
From Dictatorship to Democracy. On the history of Germany after 1943
Winter Trimester 2024
Undergraduate Seminar
(held in German)
Change Through Trade – Trade Through Change? German-Chinese Relations after 1949
Spring Trimester 2023
Seminar
(held in German)
International, Transnational, Global: Writing History Beyond the Nation-State?
Spring Trimester 2023
Course
(held in German)
Foreign Relations of the Federal Republic (1949-1990): Agents, Policies, Scopes of Action
Autumn Trimester 2022
Undergraduate Seminar
(held in German)
China and the West Since the 18th Century: History of a Changing Relationship
Autumn Trimester 2022
Seminar
(held in German; teaching cooperation with Martin Albers, Hamburg)
China’s Rise in the 20th Century
Winter Trimester 2022
Undergraduate Seminar
(held in German)
Populism in History and Present – Interdisciplinary Perspectives on a Problem of Contemporary History
Autumn Trimester 2021
Undergraduate Seminar
(held in German)
The Fall of the Weimar Republic
Winter Trimester 2021
Undergraduate Seminar
(held in German)
Contested Memories: Politics of History after National Socialism
Autumn Trimester 2020
Seminar
(held in German)
Berlin and its Nazi past
Winter Trimester 2020
Seminar
(held in German)
History in Practice – Writing seminar
Winter Trimester 2020
Writing Seminar
(held in German)
(6) Academic Self-Governance
Various responsibilities in academic self-governance, including serving as the representative of the non-professorial academic staff on the appointment committee for the succession of Prof. Martina Heßler (2020-2022)
(7) External Funding Raised
Conference Funding for the symposium “The Crux with Expertise: ‘Experts’ in the 20th Century between Knowledge, Public Discourse, and Politics” (September 2024) totaling 13,200 Euros
- Funding from the Academy of Sciences in Hamburg: 4,750 Euros (as applicant)
- Funding from the Fritz Thyssen Foundation: 8,450 Euros (as co-organizer; applicant: Prof. Marcus M. Payk)
(8) Scholarships
02/2011-03/2018
Scholarship of the German Academic Scholarship Foundation (“Studienstiftung des deutschen Volkes”) for the Study of History, Political Science and Chinese at the Universities of Konstanz and Peking (北京大学)
08/2015-08/2016
Scholarship of Alfried Krupp von Bohlen und Halbach Foundation and the German Academic Scholarship Foundation for a one-year study and research at Peking University (北京大学) in China
2007/2008
Scholarship of the Bavarian Ministry of Education (“Kulturfonds Bayern”) for an 11-month stay in the P.R. China (“Botschafter Bayerns”)
(9) Memberships
- German Association of Chinese Studies (德語地區漢學協會)
- European Association of Chinese Studies
- German Association for Asian Studies
- Association of German Historians
- German Studies Association
- Economic History Society
(10) (Honorary) Engagement: Academia, Political Consulting, Eductional Opportunities
- Advising federal institutions (since 2022); cf. my entry in the Expertise Directory of the German Association for Asian Studies, available at: http://asienforschung.de/expertiseverzeichnis/
- Member of the selection committee of the China-Scholarship-Program of German Academic Scholarship Foundation/ Alfried Krupp von Bohlen und Halbach-Foundation (since 2022)
- Member of the selection committee of the German Academic Scholarship Foundation (“Studienstiftung des deutschen Volkes”, since 2019)
- Head of consultation of ArbeiterKind.de e.V. Hamburg (since 2019)
- Founder and head of ApplicAid e.V. Hamburg (since 2020)