Niklas studied at the University of Cologne and at the Victoria University in Melbourne. He received his degree in economics in summer 2010. Alongside his studies, he worked as a research assistant and tutor at the Jean Monnet Chair of Prof. Wessels at the University of Cologne and completed an internship at the broadcasting studio of the Second German Public Television (ZDF) in Brussels. As part of the EXACT - Marie Curie ITN on EU External Action, he worked for the Centre for European Policy Studies and the Finish Institute for International Affairs. His research focuses on the institutional evolution of  the Common Foreign and Security Policy and the post of the High Representative. 

Title of research project: "Leader or laggard? The High Representative and the institutionalisation of leadership in CFSP"

Supervisor: Professor John Peterson (University of Edinburgh)

Co-Supervisor: Professor Wolfgang Wessels (University of Cologne)

Since its establishment in 1993 the Common Foreign and Security Policy (CFSP) was subject to a process of institutionalisation with an increase of provisions, instruments and institutional actors. This process temporarily ended with the creation of the High Representative of the Union (HRVP) and the European External Action Service (EEAS) with the Lisbon treaty. The aim of the constant reform of the CFSP was to provide an orchestrated foreign policy of the member states of the EU. However, CFSP has still preserved its intergovernmental nature. This creates a demand for leadership in order to internally agree on policies and represent them towards third parties. How does the institutionalisation of the CFSP affect the allocation and performance of leadership in this policy area?
The research will be based on a diachronic analysis comparing similar cases in the post-Maastricht, post-Amsterdam and post-Lisbon era. The aim is to identify conditions, options and limitations for the office of the High Representative of the Union to exert leadership, based on experiences of 17 years of CFSP.

Publications and Presentations:

• "The High Representative as the new Presidency in the Common Foreign and Security Policy: 'The king is dead, long lives the king!'" paper presented at the European Union in International Affairs III conference, 13-15 May 2012, Brussels.
  
  
• "International Interests - the Common Foreign and Security Policy" (with John Peterson and Andrew Byrne), in: John Peterson / Michael Shackleton (eds): Institutions of the European Union (3rd edition), Oxford University Press, 2012.
• "Constructing a German Europe? Germany's Europe Debate Revisited", (with Timo Behr), FIIA Briefing Paper 99, Finnish Institute for International Affairs, Helsinki.

• "EU foreign policy restarted? Post-Lisbon institutional change and its effects", paper presented at the Seventh Anual Graduate Conference of the Hebrew University, 14-16 December 2011, Jerusalem.
  
  
• “Taking the lead? The High Representative facing the ‘Arab Spring’”, presentation at the EXACT workshop "The EU and its neighbourhood - current challenges and conflicts" at the Finish Institute for International Affairs, 7 September 2011, Helsinki.
  
  
• "Leadership in CFSP - Potential and performance of the High Representative in the immediate reaction to the crises in Egypt and Libya", paper presented at the UACES Student Forum 12th Annual Conference, 30 June - 1 July 2011, University of Surrey, Guildford.
  
  
• “The setup of the European External Action Service - Inexplicable by grand theories of European integration?” (together with Simon Stross), paper presented at the conference  “EU as a Global Player”, 7th/8th April 2011, San Pablo-CEU University, Madrid.

 Research Assistance

• Updated Online Ressource Centre for: Elizabeth Bomberg / John Peterson / Richard Corbett: The European Union: How Does it Work? (3rd edition), Oxford University Press, 2012.