Curriculum Vitae

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Prof. Dr. Wolfgang Merkel

1952
Born in Hof (Germany)

1974
Matriculation at the University of Heidelberg in sports/sports science, history, and  political science

1980
Final degree (Staatsexamen) at the University of Heidelberg in sports/sports science, history, and political science

1981-1982
Scholarship of the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) for the School of Advanced International Studies (SAIS) of  the Johns Hopkins University in Bologna (Italy). Degree: One Year Diploma in International Affairs (Political Science, International Law, Economics, History)

1982-1985
Doctoral scholarship of the Studienstiftung des Deutschen Volkes (German National Academic Foundation)

1985
Completion of the doctoral thesis in political science (supervisor: Professor Klaus von Beyme) at the University of Heidelberg

1985-1989
Research fellow at the Faculty of Sociology of the University of Bielefeld,  research area "Political science, especially Western Europe"

1988-1989
John F. Kennedy Memorial Fellow at the Center for European Studies of the  Harvard University (USA)

1989-1994
Assistant lecturer at the Institute of Political Science, University of Heidelberg (chair: Professor Klaus von Beyme)

1992
Post-doctoral degree (Habilitation). Venia Legendi for political science

March 1994
Calls:
- for a professorship (C3) in political science from the University of Osnabrück
- for a professorship (C4) in comparative government from the University of Education/University of Erfurt (Pädagogische Hochschule/Universität Erfurt)
- for a professorship (C3) in comparative political science/economy and society from the University of Mainz
- for a professorship (C3, focus on European integration/European politics, and political theory) from the University of Duisburg

October 1994
Acceptance of a call for a professorship in political science (C3, comparative government) from the University of Mainz

January 1996
1st prize for the best social science article published in 1994 in a German-language journal awarded by the Fritz Thyssen Stiftung for the article: "Restriktionen und Chancen demokratischer Konsolidierung in post-kommunistischen Gesellschaften. Ostmitteleuropa im Vergleich", in: Berliner Journal für Soziologie 4/1994

1997-1998
Managing Director of the Institute of Political Science, University of Mainz

Winter/Spring 1998
Visiting professor at the Center for Advanced Studies in Social Sciences, Instituto Juan March in Madrid

February 1999
Acceptance of a call for a professorship (C4) from the Institute of Political Science, University of Heidelberg

1999-2001
Managing Director of the Institute of Political Science, University of Heidelberg

Spring 2002
Visiting professor at the Instituto Ortega Y Gasset, Madrid

Spring 2002
1st place (pari passu with a female colleague) on the list for a call for a professorship in political science (C4) of the Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin

2002-2009
Recurring visiting professor at Instituto Universitario de Investigación Ortega y Gasset , Madrid/Spain

Winter 2002
Call for the position of a director at the Social Science Research Center Berlin (WZB), research unit  "Democracy: Structures, Performance, Challenges"

since April 2004
Director of the research unit "Democracy: Structures, Performance, Challenges" at the Social Science Research Center Berlin (WZB)

since April 2004
Professor of political science (C4) at the Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Faculty of Arts III, Department of Social Sciences

November 2007
Appointment as a member of the Council of International Advisors to the Spanish Prime Minister José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero

December 2007
Appointment as a member of the Berlin-Brandenburg Academy of Sciences and Humanities

2009
Appointment to the Scientific Committee of the Fundación IDEAS para el progreso

March 2010
Frank Cass Prize 2008 for the contribution "Democracy through War" as the best article published in the journal "Democratization" in the year 2008

March 2011
Call for the position of the President of the German Institute of Global and Area Studies (GIGA)/Leibnitz Institut für Globale und Regionale Studien, Hamburg and a professorship for political science (S-Professur) at the University of Hamburg