b. 1963
Michael Zürn is a German political scientist and international relations scholar based at the WZB Berlin Social Science Center and Freie Universität Berlin. He is a leading theorist of global governance, international institutions, and the politicization of international organizations. His work examines how international authority is constructed, legitimated, and contested in the post-Westphalian order.
Developed influential theories of international authority and its legitimation
Pioneered research on the politicization and contestation of international institutions
Co-developed the concept of 'international rule of law' and transnational legal orders
Authored 'A Theory of Global Governance' (2018), a major framework for understanding supranational authority
Directed the WZB's Global Governance research unit, shaping European IR scholarship
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