Publications Prof. Dr. Mayer

All Publications

Here you can find the collected CASSIS publications and media contributions by Prof. Dr. Maximilian Mayer.

A complete list of his publications can be found here.

Publications

“Research Security” in Germany and the United States

The authors investigate the concept of "research security" in the context of rising geopolitical tensions, comparing how it is implemented in Germany and the US. The study focuses on how research security is framed and put into practice within science policy, showing that greater attention to the topic does not necessarily lead to securitization.

The Digitalisation of Memory Practices in China

On September 25, 2025, Maximilian Mayer and Frederik Schmitz published "The Digitalisation of Memory Practices in China: Contesting the Curating State." at Bristol University Press. The volume was supported by TRA 5 Present Pasts and provides the first comprehensive analysis of how memory and heritage in China is being reshaped in the digital age. Read more here.

Tech Middle Power Cooperation and Workarounding

The dataset provides a comprehensive overview of cooperation initiatives involving 24 tech middle powers and 32 additional partner countries between 1990 and July 2025. It covers projects across eight world regions, with collaborations involving the United States or China deliberately excluded. The findings clearly show that the strategy of workarounding is gaining momentum worldwide. A more in-depth analysis will be presented in the edited volume Workarounding: Tech Middle Power Cooperation in a Turbulent World, edited by Maximilian Mayer, Gedaliah Afterman, Narayanappa Janardhan, and Laura Mahrenbach, to be published later this year by Palgrave Macmillan.

Chinas Anspruch auf eine neue Weltordnung

Nadine Godehardt and Maximilian Mayer analyze China’s foreign policy, using the 2025 SCO summit in Tianjin as an example, where Xi Jinping presented his Global Governance Initiative (GGI) and organized numerous bilateral meetings. At the core lies China’s attempt to establish an alternative world order through multilateral structures and bilateral networks, distinct from Western-liberal principles. While Beijing emphasizes equality, sovereignty, and win-win cooperation, it employs these narratives to consolidate its own power and expand zones of influence with imperial characteristics. For Germany and Europe, this underscores the need to address not only trade-related issues but also China’s global ambitions in a more strategic way.

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.

Digital platforms in the agricultural sector: Dynamics of oligopolistic platformisation

In their article, Monja Sauvagerd, Maximilian Mayer and Monika Hartmann introduce the concept of "oligopolistic platformisation" to explore the dynamics of collaboration and competition between multinational agribusinesses and Big Tech in the agricultural sector. They analyze this phenomenon through platform mechanisms such as datafication, selection, and commodification.

Digital fragmentations, technological sovereignty and new perspectives on the global digital political economy

In their article, Maximilian Mayer & Philip Nock discuss the interactions between digital sovereignty and the fragmentation of digital ecosystems and internet governance. They address "cyber-balkanisation" and related challenges to the global digital political economy, including implications for governance, economic autonomy and technological dependencies.

From Automation to Autonomy: Human Machine Relations in the Age of Artificial Intelligence

In this article, Caja Thimm, Gabriele Gramelsberger, Maximilian Mayer & Frank Piller shed light on the complex and interdisciplinary perspectives on autonomy in the digital era.

Routledge Handbook on Global China

A scientific analysis by Maximilian Mayer, Emilian Kavalski, Marina Rudyak and Xin Zhang on the complex and transformative nature of Global China.

Energy technology, climate change, and security in Anthropocene

Prof. Dr Maximilian Mayer & Dr. Susanne Peters discuss the security implications arising from the interplay between energy security, new energy technologies and the dynamics of climate change in an article for the newly published "Handbook on Climate Change and International Security",

Illusionen der Autonomie? Europas Position in den globalen digitalen Abhängigkeitsstrukturen

Prof. Dr Maximilian Mayer & Yen-Chi Lu, PhD student at CASSIS, discuss in their article forSIRIUS - Journal for Strategic Analyses, they discuss Europe's position within the structures of global digital dependency. To do so, they draw on the "Digital Dependence Index", a measurement of the dependencies of various countries in the field of digital technologies.

Special Issue: Politics of Memory, Heritage, and Diversity in Modern China

Under the editorship of Prof. Dr. Maximilian Mayer Guest, the Special Issue "Politics of Memory, Heritage, and Diversity in Modern China" was recently published in the Journal of Current Chinese Affairs. In various articles and in the introduction by Maximilian Mayer & Karolina Pawlik, the Special Issue addresses questions of the interaction between collective memory and Chinese identity, cultural modernisation and political mobilisation.

China’s Bifurcated Space Diplomacy and Institutional Density

Prof. Dr. Maximilian Mayer and Kunhan Li, coctoral candidate at the University of Nottingham — Ningbo, China, investigate Chinese space diplomacy and its bifurcation between institutionalised multilateral cooperation and state-centric bilateral co-operation.

China’s Cyberpower and its Impact

Prof. Dr. Maximilian Mayer and Prof. Josef Gregory Mahoney, Professor of Politics and International Relations at East China Normal University, have edited a Special Issue of the Journal on Chinese Political Science.

Assessing the Financial and Geoeconomic Implications of China’s Digital Currency

Together with Amir Elalouf, Maximilian Mayer has contributed a chapter called "Assessing the Financial and Geoeconomic Implications of China’s Digital Currency" in a publication edited by Tim Rühlig. It highlights the possible effects of the e-CNY on European security, values and competitiveness, and recommends steps to improve Europe’s economic and technological stance.

Infrastructuring Cyberspace: Exploring China’s Imaginary and Practices of Selective Connectivity

Nicolas Huppenbauer, Dr. Ying Huang and Prof. Maximilian Mayer explore the tension between digital fragmentations and connectivity in Chinese cyberspace and introduce a new term "selective connectivity".

South Korea's Response to COVID-19: Lessons for Pandemic Preparedness and Agile Crisis Management

Prof. Maximilian Mayer and Ga Young Lee are examining the genesis of South Korea's proactive pandemic management and the resulting learning processes.

China's Engagement in Africa: Activities, Effects and Trends

Prof. Dr. Maximilian Mayer writes on China's technological influence in Africa as part of a Center for Global Studies publication.

Digital currencies, monetary sovereignty, and U.S.–China power competition

Prof. Dr. Maximilan Mayer and Dr. Ying Huang discuss digital currencies, monetary sovereignty, and U.S.–China power competition in their new research article.

Power in the Age of Datafication: Exploring China’s Global Data Power

Prof. Maximilian Mayer and Dr. Ying Huang are examining Chinese data power by providing a new conceptual framework.

Europa hat die Konsequenzen seiner digitalen Abhängigkeit noch kaum erkannt

Maximilian Mayer and Yen-Chi Lu develop a Digital Dependency Index (DDI) that provides a precise description of the state of digital dependencies in a global comparison. With the help of the DDI, the complex subject of strategic digital policy can also be better mapped: Worldwide, 23 economically leading countries were identified as having different degrees of digital dependency in terms of trade in digital goods and services, in the area of information and communication infrastructures, and with regard to intellectual property rights for digital technologies.

COVID-19 Border Restrictions and Cross-Border Care Relations: The Cases of Germany and Vietnam

In diesem Arbeitspapier beschreiben u.a. Katharina Cramer, Maximilian Mayer und Philip Nock kritische Unterbrechungen der grenzüberschreitenden Pflegebeziehungen und -arrangements aufgrund der Einführung von Grenzbeschränkungen zu Beginn der COVID-19-Krise in Deutschland und Vietnam. Die Autor:innen argumentieren, dass die spezifischen (geo)politischen Konstellationen und die besonderen sozioökonomischen Kontexte und Verbindungen der Pflege innerhalb und außerhalb dieser Länder entscheidende Aspekte dafür sind, wie und in welchem Ausmaß die Grenzbeschränkungen in jedem dieser beiden Länder variierten und unterschiedliche Härten für verschiedene Arten von Pflegebeziehungen verursachten.

“China’s Belt and Road Initiative is Faring”

Since the inauguration of China’s Belt and Road Initiative in 2013, its bold vision has become China’s most important global economic and foreign policy instrument. Dr. Frank Umbach elaborates on the future of China’s Belt and Road Initiative in his article “China’s Belt and Road Initiative is Faring”, which was published in Geopolitical Intelligence Services.

Politics of Pandemic Care: Exploring Disruption and Response in International Cross-Country Comparison

In diesem Arbeitspapier beschreiben u. a. Katharina Kramer, Maximilian Mayer und Philip Nock die Erforschung von staatlicher Politik, sozialen Initiativen Initiativen und digitale Innovationen als Teil der globalen und nationalen Unterbrechungen der Versorgung während der COVID-19 Pandemie und beleuchten die Schnittstellen zwischen nationaler und globaler Pflegepolitik.

China: Comparative Covid Response: Crisis, Knowledge, Politics

A Scientific Analysis of China's Pandemic Management by Maximilian Mayer, Kunhan Li, and Ningjie Zhu.

Learning from Wuhan — there is no Alternative to the Containment of COVID-19

An academic text by Maximilian Mayer, among others, on ways to combat the pandemic.

Rethinking the Silk Road. China’s Belt and Road Initiative and Emerging Eurasian Relations

Ein von Prof. Dr. Maximilian Mayer herausgegebenes Buch, das die neue Rolle und die Ambitionen von Chinas neuer Führung im Weltgeschehen bewertet, die erste theoriegeleitete Sammlung von Perspektiven zu Chinas Belt and Road Initiative bietet und vergleichende, regionale, nationale und theoretische Perspektiven zu Chinas ehrgeizigstem außenpolitischen Projekt liefert.

Strategy Papers

Eine neue proaktive Zielsetzung für Deutschland zur Bekämpfung von SARS-CoV-2. 6. Teil: Impfungen

Paper by Prof. Dr. Maximilian Mayer, among others, on Covid-19 and vaccinations (Toolbox #9 NoCovid: SARS-CoV2 vaccinations).

Eine neue proaktive Zielsetzung für Deutschland zur Bekämpfung von SARS-CoV-2. 5. Teil: Risikoinzidenz

Paper by Prof. Dr. Maximilian Mayer, among others, on Covid-19 and risk incidence (Toolbox #7: Risk Incidence, Toolbox #8: Just Start).

Eine neue proaktive Zielsetzung für Deutschland zur Bekämpfung von SARS-CoV-2. 4. Teil: Bildung, Schulen und Kitas

Paper by Prof. Dr. Maximilian Mayer, among others, on Covid-19 and education (Toolbox #6: Education, Schools and Kitas)

Eine neue proaktive Zielsetzung für Deutschland zur Bekämpfung von SARS-CoV-2. 3. Teil: Teststrategien

Paper by Prof. Dr. Maximilian Mayer, among others, on Covid-19 and test strategies (Toolbox #6: Intelligent Test Strategies).

Eine neue proaktive Zielsetzung für Deutschland zur Bekämpfung von SARS-CoV-2. 2. Teil: Handlungsoptionen

Paper by Prof. Dr. Maximilian Mayer, among others, on Covid-19 and testing strategies (Toolbox #1-#4)

Eine neue proaktive Zielsetzung für Deutschland zur Bekämpfung von SARS-CoV-2. 1. Teil

Paper by Prof. Dr. Maximilian Mayer, among others, on the fight against Covid-19.

Theoretische Grundlagen für eine umfassende nationale Rahmenstrategie für Molekulare Covid-19 Testverfahren

In this working paper, Sandra Ciesek et al. describe possible testing strategies that would enable PCR-based testing capacity and testing practice to be greatly expanded throughout Germany.

Kreativität, Verantwortung, Transformation: Grundlegende Voraussetzungen für die Lockerung des COVID-19-Lockdown

In this paper, Bude, Heinz et al. advocate a number of measures to keep the SARS-CoV-2 replication number below 1 and to set the stage for successful pandemic response.

Link to the research initiative 'No Covid'

All Publications

Media Contributions