Ole Frahm
Political Scientist • Academic • Policy Advisor
At the intersection of rigorous academic research and practical policy work, I work on post-truth politics, populism, statebuilding and feminist foreign policy across Europe, Eurasia and Sub-Saharan Africa. I lecture at the University of St. Gallen and Leuphana University, hold a visiting fellowship at Kadir Has University in Istanbul, and advise the German Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development and the European Commission on questions of conflict, democracy and migration.
Current Positions
Visiting Fellow
Kadir Has University, Istanbul
since 2022
Lecturer
University of St. Gallen
since 2020
Lecturer
Leuphana University Lüneburg
since 2022
Expert Evaluator, Horizon 2020 and Horizon Europe
European Commission
since 2016
Federal Ministry for Economic Cooperation and Development (BMZ) & German Institute for Global and Area Studies (GIGA)
- Consultant, risk and conflict analyst for Turkey · since 2023
- Consultant, risk and conflict analyst for Sudan · since 2014
- Consultant, risk and conflict analyst for South Sudan · since 2012
Academic Positions
Senior Researcher, Horizon Europe project RECLAIM
University of Iceland
2024 – 2025
Associate Researcher, Otto Suhr Institute of Political Science
Freie Universität Berlin
2020 – 2021
Researcher, Horizon 2020 project EU-STRAT
University of St. Gallen
2017 – 2019
Visiting Researcher, Centre of African Studies
University of Edinburgh
2017
Lecturer and Thesis Supervisor, MA Governance and Human Rights
Leuphana University Lüneburg
2016 – 2020
Visiting Assistant Professor, Department of Politics and International Relations
Boğaziçi University, Istanbul
2016
Adjunct Lecturer, Department of International Relations
Yeditepe University, Istanbul
2016
Lecturer, MA in Water and Energy Sciences
Pan African University, Tlemcen
2015
Lecturer, Good Governance in Afghanistan programme
Willy Brandt School, University of Erfurt
2010 & 2011
Political Consultancy
Research Assistant, EU support for human rights in Central and Eastern Europe
HRights.eu, Berlin
2010
Government & Think Tanks
Researcher and grantee, Young Academics Program
Global Relations Forum, Istanbul
2017 – 2019
Research Fellow
Sudd Institute, Juba
2013
Executive Director (maternity cover), Principal Investigator and Project Manager
Das Progressive Zentrum, Berlin
2008 – 2010
Research Intern
German Marshall Fund, Ankara
2007
Intern, Division for Policy Planning
German Federal Foreign Office, Berlin
2005
Education
Doctor of Philosophy
Humboldt University Berlin • Focus: African Statebuilding and Nationbuilding
Master of Arts in Contemporary European Studies
University of Bath • Sciences Po Paris • Humboldt University Berlin
Bachelor of Arts in Philosophy, Politics and Economics
University of Oxford • St. Hugh's College
Research Interests
Geographic Focus
Europe
Eurasia
Sub-Saharan Africa
Turkey
Languages
English
German (mother tongue)
French
Turkish
Italian
Polish
Arabic (beginner)
Latin (Großes Latinum)