Claudia Derichs

Prof. Dr. Claudia Derichs holds a faculty position at the Institute of Asian and African Studies, part of Humboldt University of Berlin. As a political scientist, her work bridges Southeast Asian and Middle Eastern studies with critical reflections on Western academic paradigms. She leads the Transregional Southeast Asia Studies program and engages in cross-disciplinary projects analyzing political movements, gender dynamics, and knowledge production frameworks.

Her research portfolio spans three decades, focusing on:

• Social movements in Japan and Malaysia
• Transregional Islamic networks
• Gender regimes in authoritarian contexts
• Epistemological critiques of Area Studies
• Political dynasties and female leadership
• Digital media's role in political change

Recent publications reveal sustained engagement with:

• Transregional connectivity patterns
• Conceptual translation challenges
• Comparative analysis of Islamic movements
• Revisiting 1960s global protest narratives
• Local knowledge frameworks in Southeast Asia

Academic contributions include:

• Co-founding the 'Global Sixties' comparative analysis
• Pioneering transnational women's movement studies
• Challenging Eurocentric political theory concepts
• Establishing kinship as analytical political category

Her methodological approach combines extensive fieldwork with critical epistemological frameworks. She maintains active collaborations with scholars in Europe, Asia, and the Middle East, shaping contemporary debates about non-Western political modernities.