Peter Bursens

Peter Bursens is a full professor of Political Science at the Department of Political Science, Faculty of Social Sciences, University of Antwerp, a position held since 2010. He is a senior member of the Politics and Public Governance Research Group (P&PG) and affiliated with the GOVTRUST Center of Excellence focusing on trust in multilevel governance systems. His academic roles extend to teaching at the Antwerp Management School and the Institute for Sustainable Development and Environment.

He obtained his Ph.D. in Political Science from the University of Antwerp in 1999.

Professor Bursens' research centers on European decision-making processes, Europeanization dynamics, federalism structures, and democratic legitimacy within multilevel political systems. As holder of a Jean Monnet Chair on 'skills teaching in European Union Studies', he develops simulation games and assessment tools for political science curricula. His work is embedded in the GOVTRUST Center of Excellence examining trust mechanisms across governance levels.

• Jean Monnet Chair (European Commission)

He served as program director and vice-dean for education from 2012-2018, teaching European integration and multilevel political systems across Bachelor and Master programs in Political Science and International Relations. His extensive administrative involvement includes chairing the Examination Board for Bachelor Political Science and serving on the Education Committee of the Faculty of Social Sciences.

Professor Bursens maintains governance roles across 15+ committees including the Faculty Council of Social Sciences, Departmental Council of Political Sciences, and Council of the Institute for Environment and Sustainable Development, reflecting deep institutional engagement.