Bio
Hartmut Mayer is Steven Muller Chair
Academic Director, Master of Arts in Global Risk at SAIS Europe
Professor Mayer was Fellow and Tutor in Politics (International Relations), St. Peter's College, University of Oxford (2002-2025) and has held visiting professorships at the University of Hamburg and GIGA German Institute of Global and Area Studies (2011-2014), Hitotsubashi University, Tokyo (2010); Wiener Ansprach Visiting Professor at Universite Libre de Bruxelles (2014), and OXPO Visiting Professor at Science Po, Paris (2014). He has also held research positions at the European University Institute, Florence; UPI, Helsinki; SWP, Berlin; JSPS Fellow at Waseda University, Tokyo (2006-07) and at SAIS Johns Hopkins, Bologna. Since 1997 Mayer is Region Head Europe at Oxford Analytica, a political and economic consultancy firm. Prior to his academic career, more than 10 years as a journalist, among others with
DIE ZET,
Sueddeutsche Zeitung and the German Press Agency. Professor Mayer was Director, European Studies Centre, University of Oxford, St. Antony's College (2017-2022), Acting Director, EUROPAEUM (2017-2020), Executive Chair, EUROPAEUM (2020-2024), and a member of the Oxford University Board of Alumni Relations. He received his D.Phil. (i.e. PhD) in International Relations, University of Oxford (St. Antony's College); M.Phil. in International Relations, Cambridge University (Gonville and Caius College); M.A.L.D., Fetcher School of Law and Diplomacy, Tufts University; and (Zwischenpruefung) Freie Universität Berlin.
Professor Mayer has written articles in various journals such as
South African Journal of International Affairs, Journal of European Integration, and
International Affairs.
Courses
- Risk in International Politics & Economics
The purpose of this course is to introduce students to the challenge of understanding risk in international political and economic relations. We will study the nature of global risks, the methods on how to assess them and the challenge of formulating responses to them. We will also have the chance to introduce the practical side of political risk analysis by practitioners (guest lectures) and through concrete class exercises. Students will have to tackle ‘how’ we understand and ‘what’ we understand at the same time. Along the way, they will have to consider those things we cannot understand or anticipate with any meaningful degree of precision. As decision-makers in politics and business do, the students will have to deal with the ‘uncertainty’ that lies beyond the boundaries of ‘risk’. The subject matter is, for good or bad, open-ended. Virtually every aspect of politics or economics can be cast in terms of risk and uncertainty, no matter whether we look to the future or reflect upon the past. Therefore, the course builds on a thematically structured, case study approach. Each week introduces a new principle or policy area that is useful in understanding risk; each week provides cases that illustrate the usefulness of those principles. The ultimate goal is to be able to analyze matters of risk and uncertainty as they manifest around decisions taken by leaders in government or business in the real world.
- Risk in International Politics and Economics
The purpose of this course is to introduce students to the challenge of understanding risk in international political and economic relations. We will study the nature of global risks, the methods on how to assess them and the challenge of formulating responses to them. We will also have the chance to introduce the practical side of political risk analysis by practitioners (guest lectures) and through concrete class exercises. Students will have to tackle ‘how’ we understand and ‘what’ we understand at the same time. Along the way, they will have to consider those things we cannot understand or anticipate with any meaningful degree of precision. As decision-makers in politics and business do, the students will have to deal with the ‘uncertainty’ that lies beyond the boundaries of ‘risk’. The subject matter is, for good or bad, open-ended. Virtually every aspect of politics or economics can be cast in terms of risk and uncertainty, no matter whether we look to the future or reflect upon the past. Therefore, the course builds on a thematically structured, case study approach. Each week introduces a new principle or policy area that is useful in understanding risk; each week provides cases that illustrate the usefulness of those principles. The ultimate goal is to be able to analyze matters of risk and uncertainty as they manifest around decisions taken by leaders in government or business in the real world.
- Introduction to the European Union
This short course provides students with the background and information they need to understand the European Union’s (EU) role in international relations today. It is especially recommended for students considering registering for courses focusing on the EU who have not previously studied theories of regional integration or the history, economics, law, institutions, external relations and politics of the EU. It will enable you to engage with fellow students and faculty at SAIS on the basis of a shared understanding of the EU, its main challenges and opportunities.
The main requirement is to participate regularly and actively in the five sessions. You are encouraged to consult the online sources specified in the syllabus, which will provide you with real-time information on European issues as they develop.
