Alexander Horstmann

Prof. Alexander Horstmann is an Associate Professor at Tallinn University, School of Humanities, Department of Asian Studies. He maintains senior research partnerships with the Max Planck Institute for the Study of Religious and Ethnic Diversity (Göttingen, Germany) and BICC (Bonn, Germany). His work focuses on:

• Karen refugee crisis
• Humanitarian assistance
• Religion-state-refugee dynamics
• Coexistence of Theravada Buddhism and Islam in Southern Thailand

Research Trends:
Horstmann's recent publications (2013-2018) analyze refugee agency in hostile environments, Karen ethno-nationalism's intersection with civil society, and religious movements as tools for survival in conflict zones. His work spans Thailand-Myanmar borderlands, Southeast Asian Islam, and comparative cultural revitalization.

Fieldwork & Collaborations:
With extensive ethnographic experience in Thailand (mid-South and Northwest), fluency in Thai, and leadership in a Thailand Research Fund-supported team with Decha Tangseefa (Thammasat University), he explores non-state spaces created by Karen refugees through self-organization and international donor interactions.