Prof. Dr. Maximilian Mayer

Prof. Dr. Maximilian Mayer

Junior-Professor of International Relations and Global Politics of Technology

Contact

E-Mail: maximilian.mayer@uni-bonn.de
Phone: +49 (0)228/73-5640
Address: Römerstraße 164, D-53117 Bonn, Room 4.011b
Website: Institut für Politische Wissenschaft und Soziologie
Twitter: @mayer_iras

Office Hours and Profile

Office hours

During the lecture-free period, the office hours take place online (via Zoom or Skype) every Thursday between 10:00 and 11:30 a.m. or by prior appointment. Registration via email (maximilian.mayer@uni-bonn.de) required. Contact: Room 4.011b, Phone: +49 (0)228 73 5640.

Profile

Dr. Maximilian Mayer is Junior-Professor of International Relations and Global Politics of Technology at University of Bonn. He was assistant professor at the University of Nottingham Ningbo China (2019-2020). He is also research fellow at Renmin University Beijing (2018-2020), worked as Research Professor at Tongji University, Shanghai (2015-2018) and was senior researcher at the Munich Center for Technology in Society, Technical University Munich (2018-2019). Maximilian worked at the Bonn University’s Center for Global Studies (CGS) as managing assistant and senior herefellow (2009-2015). Maximilian holds a master degree from Ruhr University Bochum and obtained his PhD at Bonn University. His research interests include the global politics of science, innovation, and technology; China’s foreign and energy policy; global energy and climate politics; theories of International Relations. Maximilian presents regularly at international conferences, publishes his research in peer-reviewed journals, and has authored seven books including China’s Energy Thirst: Myth or Reality? (2007 together with Xuewu Gu), Changing orders: transdiciplinary analysis of global and local realities (2008, co-editer), two-volumes on The Global Politics of Science and Technology (2014, lead editor). He is coeditor of Art and Sovereignty in Global Politics (Palgrave, 2016) and edited Rethinking the Silk-Road: Chinas Belt and Road Initiative and Emerging Eurasian Relations (Palgrave, 2018). Maximilian was visiting scholar at Harvard Kennedy School, Program on Science, Technology and Society, and section co-chair of STAIR (Science, Technology, Arts and international relations) of the International Studies Association (2015-2017) and STAIR program chair (2014-2015). Furthermore, he is part of the research group The Second Cold War Observatory.

Full CV here. More information on the website of the Institute for Political Science and Sociology.

Research Interests

Role of science and technology in International Relations
Chinas foreign and energy politics
Global enviroment and climate politics

Doctoral students supervised by Prof. Dr. Maximilian Mayer

Research Projects and Events

Ongoing Research Projects

Former Research Projects

Selected Events

Upcoming Events

Current Teaching

Summer Semester 2025

Team

Anna Böhmer

anna.boehmer@uni-bonn.de

Website

+49 228 73-60191

Dr. Katharina C. Cramer

Johannes Doerfert

Mitra Heydari

Xin Jin

Yen-Chi Lu

Mara Nazaretyan

Philip Nock

Frederik Schmitz

frederik.schmitz@uni-bonn.de

Ningjie Zhu

Publications

Global structures of digital dependence and the rise of technopoles

In their article published in New Political Economy, Maximilian Mayer and Yen-Chi Lu examine global patterns of digital dependency, highlighting how the United States and China, as key “technopoles,” possess significant technological sovereignty and strategically use digital infrastructures as instruments of power. Using the Digital Dependence Index (DDI), they develop a conceptual and data-driven model that reveals dependency structures across the areas of hardware, platforms, and patents. Theoretically, the study draws on approaches from international relations, international political economy, and concepts of structural dependency to analyze the geopolitical implications of digital asymmetries.

Connectivity and ‘Reglobalization’: India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor and its Potential Digital Future

Dr. Gedaliah Afterman, Dr. N. Janardhan, Mohammed Baharoon & Dr. Maximilian Mayer argue that the India-Middle East-Europe Economic Corridor (IMEC) remains a strategic opportunity for driving economic growth, promoting technological collaboration, and serving as a platform for regional stabilization. The authors also stress that such initiatives have the potential to bolster middle powers and an inter- and trans-regional approach, thus mitigating U.S.-China bipolarism and fragmentation.

After NATO — the way forward

Emilian Kavalski and Maximilian Mayer write about the growing rift between Europe and the United States, drawing parallels between Winston Churchill’s contradictory views on America and the current strategic dilemmas facing Europe. While publicly advocating for a strong Anglo-American alliance, Churchill privately viewed the U.S. as an unreliable and self-interested partner—an argument that resonates today as the Trump administration actively undermines European security. In response, the authors call for Europe to pursue an independent defense strategy, moving away from reliance on the U.S. and toward a new security architecture.

U.S.-China Digital Fragmentation Is Putting the World in a Bind

Laura Mahrenbach and Maximilian Mayer write about the increasing digital fragmentation driven by regulation and national interests in major tech powers such as the U.S., China and the EU. To address the challenges and risks, they argue that countries should adopt a strategy of pragmatic resilience combined with cooperative approaches.

All Publications

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