Tim Heinkelmann-Wild

Dr. Tim Heinkelmann-Wild is a Post-Doc Researcher and Lecturer (Wissenschaftlicher Mitarbeiter) at the Department of Political Science, Ludwig-Maximilians-University (LMU) Munich, and a Max Weber Fellow at the European University Institute (EUI) from September 2025 to August 2026. He has held visiting positions at the University of Cambridge’s Department of Politics and International Studies (POLIS) and the University of Oxford’s Nuffield College and Department of Politics and International Relations (DPIR).

• Education:
  • Bachelor’s in Political Science and History (2015), LMU Munich, top of year.
  • Master’s in Political Science (2018), LMU Munich, top of year.

Research Interests: Tim’s research focuses on three main areas: (1) Institutional Contestation by Established Powers, examining how traditionally supportive states like the US challenge international organizations (IOs) and its implications; (2) IO Blame Games, analyzing responsibility attribution and avoidance strategies in contested IO policies; and (3) Indirect Warfare, exploring state intervention via non-state actors and control dynamics.

Recent Publications: His work spans institutional resilience, blame attribution in the EU, and indirect warfare. Articles and chapters address topics such as the US withdrawal from IOs, legal safeguards in IO design, and multilevel blame-shifting. Collaborative works with scholars like Andreas Kruck and Bernhard Zangl are central to his output.

Scientific Awards:

• Summa cum laude doctoral honors (LMU Munich).
• John McCain Dissertation Award (Munich Security Conference 2025).
• Dissertation Award (Munich University Society, MUG).
• German Thesis Award (“Deutscher Studienpreis”).
• Max Weber Fellow (EUI, 2025–2026).

Teaching and Mentorship: He has supervised final theses seminars and taught courses on international relations, institutional contestation, and research design. He mentors in the Ment15 program for female doctoral candidates at LMU’s Faculty of Social Sciences.

Policy Experience: Internships at the German Foreign Office (Task Force Ukraine) and Peace Research Institute Frankfurt (PRIF) inform his applied insights. He is a member of the German Council on Foreign Relations (DGAP) and the German National Academic Foundation’s selection committee.