On 1 December, Tobias Ide will take over as head of the Research Department Transnational Politics at PRIF, which researches the conflict dynamics of cross-border phenomena such as climate change, terrorism and technological change. At the same time, Ide will take up the professorship in “Peace and Conflict Research: Transnational Actors”, which has been jointly established by the Technical University (TU) of Darmstadt and PRIF. Ide's work focuses on climate change and security, the importance of the environment for peace processes, transnational rebel groups and the role of education in conflict contexts. Based on this expertise, he will also take on the deputy leadership of the research group “Ecology, Climate and Conflict”at PRIF.
“I am very much looking forward to my new role in my old home state of Hesse”, says Tobias Ide. "PRIF is one of the leading institutes for peace and conflict research in Europe, and there is a lot to do in this field. Just think of the various wars around the world or increasing social polarisation. The influence of transnational aspects such as climate change or extremist networks in particular needs to be better understood," Ide outlines his upcoming field of activity.
Nicole Deitelhoff, Director of PRIF and Professor of International Relations and Theories of Global Orders at Goethe University Frankfurt, is also looking forward to working with Tobias Ide: “With Tobias Ide, we are gaining a renowned researcher with an excellent international network for PRIF. His appointment will give our research on transnational conflicts an important boost.”
Prior to his appointment, Tobias Ide was Associate Professor of Political Science and International Relations at Murdoch University in Australia. After completing his doctorate in Hamburg, his academic career took him to Braunschweig, where he habilitated at the Technical University and worked at the Leibniz Institute for Educational Media – Georg Eckert Institute in Braunschweig. Ide has completed guest stays at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem and the American University in Washington, DC, among others. He was also an extraordinary professor of peace and sustainability at the University of Hiroshima.
Tobias Ide's most important academic awards include the 2022 Emerging Peace Studies Scholar Award from the International Studies Association research network and the 2023 International Science Award from the Hans Günter Brauch Foundation for Peace and Ecology in the Anthropocene. Also worth mentioning is his election as the best Australian researcher in the field of diplomacy and international relations in 2024 and 2025 by the Australian daily newspaper The Australian.