Boike Rehbein

Prof. Dr. Boike Rehbein was a Full Professor of Society and Transformation in Asia and Africa at Humboldt University of Berlin. His academic journey included a Habilitation in sociology focusing on globalization in Laos from 2000-2004, a Ph.D. in philosophy from the University of Freiburg from 1994-1996, and studies in philosophy, sociology, and history at multiple European institutions including Freiburg, Göttingen, Frankfurt, Paris and Berlin.

His research centered on globalization, social structure, sociological theory, and Mainland Southeast Asia. He explored how global forces transform local societies, particularly through socioeconomic structures and cultural change.

Prof. Rehbein was multilingual, fluent in German, English, French, Lao, and Thai with basic skills in several other languages. His extensive publications demonstrate consistent focus on globalization's societal impacts, particularly in Southeast Asia, with theoretical contributions to critical sociology and inequality studies spanning economics, culture, and political systems.