Jonas Wolff

Jonas Wolff is a Professor of Political Science at Goethe University Frankfurt and Head of the Research Department on Intrastate Conflict at the Peace Research Institute Frankfurt (PRIF). He serves as a member of PRIF's Executive Board and holds additional roles such as the Scientific Advisory Board of the Maria Sibylla Merian Center for Advanced Latin American Studies (CALAS). His research focuses on democracy and political change, social protests, conflict dynamics, and Latin American studies. Wolff has extensive academic experience, including a PhD from Goethe University, a Habilitation in Political Science, and visiting fellowships at institutions like Nuffield College, Oxford.

His work bridges academic research and policy engagement, with contributions to understanding post-conflict violence (e.g., Colombia), shrinking civic spaces, and the political economy of IMF reforms. Notable awards include the Ernst-Otto Czempiel Award and the Hessian Peace Prize. He has authored numerous publications on democracy promotion, trust in social movements, and the intersection of conflict and development. Current projects explore targeted violence against activists and trust dynamics in mass protests.

• Education: PhD in Political Science (2007), Habilitation (2014), Goethe University Frankfurt
• Affiliations: PRIF, Goethe University, University of Kassel (Adjunct), Universidad Andina Simón Bolívar
• Grants/Projects: Research on Ecuador’s crisis, Colombia’s post-conflict dynamics, and international democracy promotion
• Labs/Teams: Lead researcher in the Leibniz Research Alliance “Transformations of Political Violence” (TraCe)

Wolff’s research emphasizes interdisciplinary approaches, linking political theory with empirical case studies in Latin America and beyond. His work often addresses global challenges like autocratization and the role of coercion in peacebuilding.