David Shim

Dr. David Shim is a Senior Lecturer (UD1) at the Faculty of Arts, University of Groningen, specializing in visual politics within International Relations. He holds a PhD in Political Science (International Relations) from the University of Hamburg (2012) and a Habilitation from Bundeswehr University Munich (2022).

His research explores the intersection of visual media and global politics, with particular focus on comics, memorials, film, photography, and satellite imagery in geopolitical contexts. His work has examined representations of North Korea, climate activism, military recruitment, and peacebuilding practices.

Key article trends show engagement with visual analysis across multiple domains: from 2013's examination of North Korean visual politics to 2024-2025 studies of climate activist visual strategies on TikTok/Instagram. He investigates how digital imagery shapes peacebuilding (2025), how satellite imagery constructs geopolitical imaginaries (2014), and how popular media like comics affect geopolitical understanding (2017).

He serves on the Research Committee – Visual Politics, as Board Member for the International Political Science Association, and as Advisory Board member for the German Association for Asian Studies. His teaching focuses on International Relations theory and East Asian politics.