Professor Dr. Tobias Lenz is leading the Leibniz Junior Research Group on the subject of “Sources and Consequences of Legitimation Strategies of Regional Organisations”
When, how, and with what consequences do regional organisations claim legitimacy? In recent decades, regional organisations have begun to look to justify their claims to power, as they gain more political authority and are subjected to growing public scrutiny. While the legitimacy of global and European organisations such as the EU has already been well researched, it is still not largely understood how regional organisations in other parts of the world establish their legitimacy. Professor Tobias Lenz will be conducting an international comparison with his Leibniz-Junior Research Group of the sources and implications of the legitimisation strategies of regional organisations under the title of “Sources and Consequences of Legitimation Strategies of Regional Organisations”. He will be cooperating with researchers from the Berlin Social Science Center, as well as with the Free University of Berlin, the University of Stockholm, and the University of Oxford. Professor Lenz succeeded in the 2018 Leibniz competition due to his interdisciplinary research approach, which combines comparative political science, international relations, political theory, sociology, and psychology.Leibniz-Junior Research Groups are awarded by the Leibniz Association to outstanding young scientists, to support their early independence in research and to improve their qualifications for appointments to full professorships. The research group will begin its five year program in June 2018 and it consists of five members: Prof Tobias Lenz, one postdoc and three doctoral students.