Nico Putz

Nico Putz is a Research Fellow at the Leibniz Centre for Modern Oriental Studies (ZMO) in Berlin, affiliated with the research program "State and Society". His individual project "Crafting Entanglements: Afro-Asian Pasts of the Global Cold War (CRAFTE)" investigates the lived experiences of Afro-Asian students in Cold War Germany, particularly from South Asia, analyzing their agency as translocal actors navigating institutional frameworks beyond East-West and North-South dichotomies.

Education

• MA Modern South and Southeast Asian Studies, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin
• B.A. Area Studies Asia/Africa, Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin

Putz's research examines identity formation through multi-layered belonging (nation, region, ideology, religion, family) using diverse sources including Indian student magazines (1950s-1980s), Lok Sabha debate minutes, photo albums, letters, and archives from Bundesarchiv Berlin, Ajoy Bhavan Delhi, and P.C. Joshi Archive at JNU. His work reconstructs student trajectories from initial migration decisions through permanent settlement outcomes, emphasizing resource utilization within Cold War geopolitical structures.

Languages

• German: Native speaker
• English: C1

Scientific Recognition

• Award from Berliner Wissenschaftliche Gesellschaft e.V. and Erhard Höpfner Foundation for Master's thesis on 1960s India and Naxalite movement networks

Contact: Nico.Putz@zmo.de