Marco Bünte

Prof. Dr. Marco Bünte is Professor of Asian Politics and Society at Friedrich-Alexander Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU), where he heads the Politics and Society of Asia department within the Institute of Political Science. He also serves as an Associate at the German Institute for Global and Area Studies (GIGA) in Hamburg.

• Magister Artium, Universität Münster (1998)
• Promotion (PhD), Universität Münster (2002)

Bünte specializes in Southeast Asian politics with research interests spanning democratization processes, authoritarian resilience, civil-military relations, constitutional politics, protest movements, human rights institutions, and the political dynamics of nationalism and extremism. His work particularly focuses on Myanmar, Indonesia, Thailand, and the broader Southeast Asian region, examining how political systems evolve during transitions from authoritarian rule.

His recent publications reveal a consistent scholarly focus on Myanmar's complex political transformation, analyzing hybrid regime dynamics, constitutional politics, military guardianship, and the challenges of democratic governance. His work connects theoretical frameworks of presidentialism and democratization with empirical Southeast Asian cases, highlighting the region's unique political trajectories that often defy Western-centric models of democratic development.

• Excellence in Research Award 2017 from Monash University

Bünte has secured significant research funding including EU Horizon 2020 projects on Competing Regional Integrations in Southeast Asia (CRISEA), and has edited the Journal of Current Southeast Asian Affairs. His international collaborations span institutions in Germany, Australia, France, Thailand, and Indonesia, reflecting his commitment to transnational scholarly exchange on Southeast Asian politics. He has supervised numerous research projects examining democratic governance challenges across the region.

Bünte maintains active research networks through his position at FAU and his ongoing association with GIGA, frequently collaborating with scholars across Southeast Asia and Europe. His work bridges academic research with policy relevance, particularly regarding democratic transitions and governance challenges in the region.