Dr. Jan Wilkens

EDUCATION

October 2018         

PhD    Universität Hamburg, International Relations    
Dissertation: “Translocal activism and the Syrian struggle in global politic” Committee: Antje Wiener, Fawaz Gerges, Klaus Schlichte, Passed with Summa cum laude

September 2012    

MSc    School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS), London    
MSc Middle East Politics, Thesis: “The Syrian “crisis” as a new moment of Global Constitutionalism – An early IR perspective on    constitutionalisation beyond the West” (passed with distinction), Advisor: Arshin Adib-Moghaddam

September 2011   

BA    Universität Hamburg    
History, Culture and Languages of the Near and Middle East, Thesis: “A “new” Pan-Arabism – an analysis of recent addresses of Bashar al-Assad (very good, 1,0), Minored in Political Science

August 2010-February 2011  

Higher Language Institute, Damascus, Syria                
Standard Arabic Regular Courses Program

HONORS AND AWARDS

2018   

Überseestipendium, Research funding to conduct field work in Lebanon

2023    

Shortlist International Affairs Centenary Award
Article Researching climate justice: a decolonial approach to global climate governance. International Affairs, 98(1), 125–143. (with Alvine Datchoua-Tirvaudey)

ACADEMIC POSITIONS & WORK EXPERIENCE

2021-Present      

Senior Researcher, Universität Hamburg    
Cluster of Excellence “Climate, Climatic Change, and Society” (CLICCS), Synthesis Project
Coordination and editing the annual publication of the Hamburg Climate Futures Outlook. Managing and organizing CLICCS initiatives, events, and networks.

2019 to 2021        

PostDoc, Universität Hamburg    
Cluster of Excellence “Climate, Climatic Change, and Society” (CLICCS), B2 - Dynamics of Climate Governance: Norms, Contestation, and Policies. Project coordination and researching the effects of regional norm conflicts and contestations on energy security and climate justice in the Mediterranean and Arctic region.

2013 to 2021         

Lecturer and Research Associate, Universität Hamburg    
Political Science, esp. Global Governance. Teaching, administrative tasks within department such as supervision of undergraduate students, recruitment and selection of students (undergraduate and graduate students), timetabling and preparation of courses for each semester, participate in developing courses and new teaching structures, participate in the institute’s committees, develop relations with organisations outside of the institute and outside of academia.  

2013 to 2021         

Scientific coordinator, Universität Hamburg    

Coordination and organization of lecture series “European Crisis in Global Perspective”

I organised a lecture series with German and international scholars (University of Hamburg, SOAS, LSE, University of Oxford) that critically examined Eurocentric assumptions about the crisis from different research perspectives. This lecture series was open to the public and further allowed students to gain ECTS points by submitting essays on the topics of the lectures. 

2012 to 2015         

Scientific coordinator, Universität Hamburg    

Project Constitutionalism Unbound: Developing Triangulation for International Relations.

The main task was to coordinate a research consortium of 14 participating professors from the School of Law and the Institute for Political Science in Hamburg as well as further participating institutions (WZB, GIGA Hamburg, Hertie School of Governance). In my capacity as a project coordinator, I was substantially involved in developing and writing the main theoretical and methodological concepts of this interdisciplinary group. I further was responsible for the calculation of the project and organized several internal workshops and international conferences in support of the project.

2011                        

Student Assistant, German Institute of Global and Area Studies (GIGA)    

As a student research assistant of a team, I conducted research (coding, computer-based word processing, quantitative analysis, mixed methods) on different country reports on the relation between religious norms, violence, and development in the Middle East.

2009 to 2010        

Student Assistant, Universität Hamburg

Research assistant and teaching assistant for preparation of courses in the Institute for Political Science at the Chair of Global Governance. Supporting students in tutorial sessions on research techniques, academic writing, and reading academic texts.

TEACHING EXPERIENCE

I have taught the following undergraduate and postgraduate courses at the University of Hamburg, Political Science. In all courses, I have developed the syllabus and contents and have been responsible for assessments and marking. Classes include conceptual, theoretical, and methodological work with students. I successfully supervised over 15 BA dissertations and co-supervised MA dissertations related to the fields of IR in the Middle East, Social Movements, Postcolonialism, and Climate Governance.

Summer 2021    Postcolonial Theory in International Relations (MA)                                      
Summer 2021    Concepts in International Relations (BA)                                                      
Winter 2020       Introduction to Political Science (BA)                                                           
Summer 2020   Postcolonialism in International Relations (MA)                                            
Winter 2019       Europe and the Middle East (BA)                                                                  
Winter 2018       Social Movements in International Politics (BA)                                           
Summer 2018    Postcolonialism in International Relations (BA)                                            
Summer 2018    Introduction to International Relations Theories (BA)                                    
Winter 2017       Global IR and the Postcolonial Challenge (BA)                                              
Winter 2017       The Middle East in International Relations (BA)                                            
Summer 2017    Introduction to International Relations Theories (BA)                                 
Summer 2016    Introduction to International Relations Theories (BA)                                   
Summer 2015    Postcolonialism in International Relations (BA)                                            
Summer 2014    Contentious Politics and International Relations (BA)                                   
Winter 2013       International Relations Theories and the Politics of the Middle East (BA)