Michael Zürn

Prof. Dr. Michael Zürn is Director of the Global Governance Department at the WZB Berlin Social Science Center and Professor of International Relations at Free University Berlin since 2004. He leads the DFG-funded Cluster of Excellence ‘Contestations of the Liberal Script’ (SCRIPTS) and contributes to debates on democratic regression, authoritarian populism, and global governance legitimacy.

• Education: Doctorate from the University of Tübingen (1991, ‘summa cum laude’), thesis: Game Theory, Functionalism, and International Politics.

Research Interests span global governance, international institutions, political theory, democratic regression, authoritarian populism, and the role of truth in liberal societies. His work analyzes how inequalities, populism, and institutional design challenge liberal democracy.

Publications focus on global governance theory, legitimacy crises, and the interplay between authoritarianism and democratic norms. Recent articles examine the 2025 German elections, FIFA’s ‘sportswashing’ impact, and the erosion of democratic rationality.

• Scientific Awards:
  • Berlin Science Award (2021)

Grants & Projects include DFG funding for SCRIPTS cluster studies and EU Horizon 2020 support for GLOBE. He co-founded the Berlin Graduate School for Transnational Studies and the International Authority Database.