Christian Welzel

Prof. Christian Welzel is a Professor of Political Culture at Leuphana University's Institute of Political Science and heads the Center for the Study of Democracy. He holds adjunct roles at Jacobs University and has led institutions like the Higher School of Economics (Russia). His research focuses on democratization, cultural change, and democratic theory, ranking globally in comparative politics (#20) and political psychology (#10). He earned his PhD from the University of Potsdam and Habilitation from Free University Berlin.

His awards include the Stein Rokkan Prize and Alexander L. George Award for his book Freedom Rising. He leads major projects like the 'Cool Water Effect' funded by the German Science Foundation (DFG). Active in academia, he advises the EU Commission, World Bank, and Chancellor's Future Dialogue. His team includes doctoral students like Julian Müller and Natascha Zaun, advancing research on political culture and development.

Welzel's career spans visiting professorships at UC Irvine and the East West Center. He coordinates global surveys through the World Values Survey Association and contributes to policy via memberships in science foundations (e.g., NSF, DFG). His work bridges theory and practice, influencing both academic discourse and public policy.