Christian von Soest

Prof. Dr. Christian von Soest is a Lead Research Fellow and Head of the Research Programme 'Peace and Security' at the German Institute for Global and Area Studies (GIGA). Since 2023, he holds an honorary professorship at the University of Göttingen. His expertise spans international sanctions, authoritarian regimes, regime legitimation strategies, and foreign policy. He leads major research projects such as the Dynamics of Mass Protests and the INSA study on individual sanctions by the US and EU. His work bridges academic research with policy advice, including contributions to the UN Sanctions Review and German foreign policy strategies.

Education includes a PhD in Political Science from the University of Leipzig (summa cum laude), and studies in Journalism, Political Science, and Public Law at the Universities of Munich, Natal (Pietermaritzburg), and Cape Town. He has held visiting positions at Harvard University and the German Federal Foreign Office.

Research focuses on sanctions efficacy, authoritarian resilience, and Africa’s political economy. Notable publications include Sanktionen: Mächtige Waffe oder hilfloses Manöver? (2023) and contributions to Democratization and Perspectives on Politics. Awards include the Junior Scientists Award from the African Studies Association (VAD) and the Research Academy Leipzig’s PhD Prize.

He advises international organizations and governments, chairs conferences on global governance, and teaches at the University of Göttingen on EU foreign policy and sanctions. His interdisciplinary approach combines qualitative methods with policy analysis, addressing contemporary challenges like climate diplomacy and digital transformation in global politics.