I have been Professor of European Integration and European Policy at the Institute of Political Science at the University of Duisburg-Essen since 2012. I am also Vice Dean for Research, Transfer and Junior Researchers at the Faculty of Social Sciences at the University of Duisburg-Essen (since 2016). I am currently also conducting research with a Simone Veil Fellowship at the Robert Schuman Centre for Advanced Studies (RSCAS) of the EUI in Florence.

In addition to Visiting Fellowships at the European Institute of Public Administration (EIPA) in Maastricht and the Centre of International Relations at the University of Ljubljana (Slovenia), I have been Director of Studies of the European Political and Governance Studies Department at the College of Europe in Bruges since June 2024. I also taught at the Turkish-German University in Istanbul between 2015-2024 and am an Honorary Board Member (from 2016-2019 Chairman) of TEPSA (Trans European Policy Studies Association), as well as a member of the Academic Board of the Institute for European Politics (IEP) in Berlin.

I am currently coordinating two Horizon Europe projects, together with my colleagues Daniela Braun (ActEU, Saarland University) and Funda Tekin (InvigoratEU, IEP). The NRW-wide, cross-university debating format “NRW debattiert Europa“, which I initiated, is entering its 10th round in 2025. As co-editor of the “Future of Europe” book series, I am always happy to receive interesting suggestions.

My aim is to critically and constructively accompany and explain the process of European integration, the shaping of European policy and Europe’s influence on the member states.