Thomas Kestler holds the Chair of Comparative Politics and German Government at the University of Würzburg ad interim.

Professor Kestler started his academic journey with a Master's degree in Political Science and Latin American Studies at the Catholic University of Eichstätt-Ingolstadt. He followed his interest in the political development of the Global South in pursuing his doctoral research on Political Parties in Venezuela which earned him a PhD in 2008. Since September 2009, he served in different capacities as a Lecturer and Researcher at the Institute of Political Science and Sociology at the University of Würzburg. He has held different visiting fellowships in Porto Alegre and Salzburg, before he completed his habilitation in 2021 and was offered the chair of Comparative Politics at Würzburg ad interim in 2023.

Thomas Kestler is contributing towards our Lecture Series on the topics of Democracy and Civil Society.