Sarah Engler

Prof. Dr. Sarah Engler is a Professor of Comparative Politics at Leuphana University of Lüneburg, holding the Chair of Comparative Politics. She previously served as a Visiting Professor for Direct Democracy and Participation at the University of Zurich (2021–2022), and as a Senior Researcher at the Institute of Political Science and the Center for Democracy Studies at the University of Zurich (2019–2021). Her research focuses on comparative political systems, populism, anti-establishment politics, corruption, and democratization processes. She has held visiting research positions at the European University Institute (EUI, Florence) and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill.

Her academic career includes roles as a doctoral student and research assistant at the Chair of European and Comparative Politics at the University of Bern (2014–2018), and prior student assistant work at the same institution (2009–2014). She is actively involved in academic projects and has published extensively on topics such as direct democracy, party systems, and the political consequences of income inequality. Her work bridges theoretical analysis with empirical research, often employing experimental methods and comparative data.

Engler’s research interests span political economy, security policy, and institutional analysis. She contributes to public discourse through media engagements and policy consultations. She teaches courses on comparative politics, democracy studies, and political methodology at Leuphana University. Her academic affiliations include the Institute of Political Science (IPW) and collaborative projects focusing on democratization and political stability.