Niklas Ferch

Niklas Ferch is a part-time Researcher at the Institute of Political Science, Justus Liebig University Giessen, with a focus on teaching and advising. He has served as a BAföG representative since 2019, assisting students with funding applications. His academic roles include research positions at the Chair of Political and Social System of the Federal Republic of Germany and the Center for Media and Interactivity.

• Education: MA in Social Policy (2015-2018, University of Bremen), BA in Social Sciences (2011-2015, Justus Liebig University Giessen)

Research interests center on intersections of Popular Music and Politics, Political Participation, Digital Instruments of Political Parties, and LGBTIQ* voter behavior. His work explores sociopolitical motifs in music, pandemic-era political engagement, and comparative analyses of intra-party democracy.

Article trends highlight his focus on music as political participation, digital tools in governance, and right-wing populism across Germany, Denmark, Norway, and Sweden. He has co-authored comparative studies on LGBTIQ* electoral resonance and trans* political representation.

Advising and grants include supervising a doctoral project titled Populäre Musik und Politik and contributing to funded initiatives like the Digital Dossier project. He has presented at international conferences (European Conference of Politics & Gender, International Conference of Europeanists) and delivered guest lectures on democracy and political visibility of marginalized groups.

Labs and teams involve collaboration with the Center for Media and Interactivity at Justus Liebig University Giessen and the Momentum Institute in Austria. He is also affiliated with the Gießen Graduate Center Social, Economic, and Legal Sciences and the Union of Education and Science (GEW).