Solveig Richter

Solveig Richter is a Professor of International Relations and Transnational Politics at the University of Leipzig, holding a prestigious Heisenberg Professorship since October 2020. Previously, she served as Junior Professor for International Conflict Management at the Willy Brandt School of Public Policy at the University of Erfurt. Her academic career includes significant research positions at the German Institute for International and Security Affairs (SWP) in Berlin, where she focused on EU enlargement policy and political transition in Southeastern Europe.

Professor Richter's research spans external democracy promotion in post-conflict and transformation societies, peacebuilding after conflicts, the role of international organizations (particularly the European Union), and the effectiveness of civilian crisis and conflict management instruments. She employs an interdisciplinary approach incorporating theories from International Relations, socialization research, Europeanization studies, and transformation research. Her regional expertise encompasses Eastern Europe, the Western Balkan countries, and Colombia, with current projects examining dynamics of peace processes in Colombia, peace missions, and informal power networks.

Between 2021 and 2023, she served as editor-in-chief of ZeFKo Studies in Peace and Conflict, the leading journal in peace and conflict studies in German-speaking regions. Her work consistently emphasizes that democracy promotion can have both positive effects and unintended, counterproductive side effects.

• Heisenberg Professor for International Relations and Transnational Politics, University of Leipzig (2020-present)
• Junior Professor for International Conflict Management, Willy Brandt School of Public Policy, University of Erfurt
• Senior Research Associate, German Institute for International and Security Affairs (SWP), Berlin
• PhD research at University of Technology Dresden and Institute for Peace Research and Security Policy in Hamburg

Professor Richter has supervised numerous doctoral students working on topics related to peacebuilding, democratization, and international intervention. Her team includes researchers focusing on Colombia's peace process, gender in post-conflict societies, European security architecture, and informal power networks in peace missions. She teaches courses on transnationalization, European integration, democracy promotion, and the legitimacy of power in post-conflict contexts.