Thomas Risse, senior professor at the Cluster of Excellence "Contestations of the Liberal Script (SCRIPTS).

Until the beginning of 2022, he was Professor of International Relations and director of the Center for Transnational Relations, Foreign and Security Policy at the Otto-Suhr- Institute of Political Science at the Freie Universität Berlin.

Born in 1955, he received his PhD from the University of Frankfurt in 1987. From 1997-2001, he was Joint Chair of International Relations at the European University Institute's Robert Schuman Centre for Advanced Studies and the Department of Social and Political Sciences in Florence, Italy. His previous teaching and research appointments include the Peace Research Institute Frankfurt, the University of Konstanz, as well as Cornell, Harvard, Yale and Stanford Universities, the University of Wyoming and the Hebrew University in Jerusalem.

In 2003, he was awarded with the Max-Planck Research for international cooperation. In 2021 he was honoured with the Juan Linz Price by the International Political Science Association.

Interview with Professor Thomas Risse – Effective Governance Under Anarchy

In this interview we speak to Professor Thomas Risse about his recent book titled Effective Governance Under Anarchy, co-authored with Tanja Börzel and published by Cambridge University Press. Focusing on the development and findings of a research project that spans over a decade, the interview explores the concept of statehood in international relations, challenging traditional understandings of the state and its role within the international system. Professor Risse is a distinguished scholar and Professor of International Relations at the Free University of Berlin. He has held various academic positions, including serving as the former director of the Center for Transnational Relations, Foreign and Security Policy at the University.

Professor Risse's extensive teaching and research experience spans across renowned institutions such as the European University Institute's Robert Schuman Centre for Advanced Studies, Stanford University, Harvard University, Cornell University, and the University of Wyoming. Professor Risse is the co-ordinator of the Research Centre 700 "Governance in Areas of Limited Statehood", funded by the German Research Foundation (DFG). Professor Risse's exceptional scholarly achievements have garnered recognition, including his appointment as an associate editor of the esteemed journal International Organization as well as being awarded the Max Planck Research Prize for International Cooperation in 2003. Professor Risse has published multiple influential books, with his most recent being the subject of this interview.

Date: 23 September 2023