Dr. Jens Herpolsheimer
Within RASS, I focus on the role that African regional economic communities (RECs) play in making sense of issues of global concern, and in global strategies to address these issues.
Research fields: African Politics, Regionalisms, Regional Organizations, Inter-Regionalism, Inter-Organizational Relations
Leipzig University, Germany
Jens Herpolsheimer is a postdoctoral researcher at the Research Centre Global Dynamics as well as at the Collaborative Research Centre (SFB) 1199: “Processes of Spatialization under the Global Condition,” both based at Leipzig University (Germany). He holds a PhD in global studies from Leipzig University. In his research, he focuses on practices of conflict intervention as well as practices of inter-regionalism between African regional organizations and the European Union, with a special emphasis on issues of governance, peace, and security. His latest book is Spatializing Practices of Regional Organizations during Conflict Intervention: The Politics of ECOWAS and the African Union (2021).
Publications
Herpolsheimer, J. (2025). The sites, actors and practices of inter-regionalism between African regional organizations and the EU: Zooming in on ECOWAS-EU relations. In S. Price & M. Langan (Eds.), Africa, the EU and the Samoa Agreement: Exploring African agency amid the ‘new scramble’ (pp. 129–146). Routledge.
de Sousa, R. R. P., Herpolsheimer, J., & Cuadrado, J. (Eds.). (2025). Political instability in Guinea-Bissau. Routledge.
Engel, U., & Herpolsheimer, J. (2025). Secretariats and staff of African international organizations. In B. Reinalda & M. Louis (Eds.), Routledge handbook of international organization (pp. 222–235). Routledge.
Herpolsheimer, J. (2024). Studying practices of interregional security governance and space-making between ECOWAS and the European Union. Territory, Politics, Governance, 12 (4), 554 – 571.
Döring, K., Engel, U., Gelot, L., & Herpolsheimer, J. (Orgs.). (2023). Recherches sur la vie intérieure de l’Architecture africaine de paix et de sécurité (APSA). Brill.
Herpolsheimer, Jens. (2022). Studying practices of interregional security governance and space-making between ECOWAS and the European Union. Territory, Politics, Governance, 12 (4), 554 – 571.
Herpolsheimer, Jens. (2021). Spatializing Practices of Regional Organizations during Conflict Intervention: The Politics of ECOWAS and the African Union. Oxfordshire: Routledge.
Döring, K., Engel, U., Gelot, L., & Herpolsheimer, J. (Eds.). (2021). Researching the inner life of the African Peace and Security Architecture: APSA inside-out. Brill.
Engel, U., & Herpolsheimer, J. (2021). African regional and inter-regional health governance: Early responses to the COVID-19 pandemic by ECOWAS and the African Union. African Security, 14(4), 318–340.
