Prof. Dr. Talja Blokland, Professor of Urban and Regional Sociology at Humboldt University in Berlin, took over the prestigious Max Weber Chair at New York University (NYU) at the beginning of the year. She will initially teach and conduct research on topics related to European studies until the end of the 2026/27 academic year and will also help shape the programme of NYU's German House.

"We are delighted that Prof. Dr. Talja Blokland, an internationally renowned expert in urban and social research, has been appointed to the prestigious Max Weber Chair," said DAAD President Prof. Dr. Joybrato Mukherjee. "At a time when international scientific cooperation and the open exchange of perspectives are coming under increasing pressure, the Max Weber Chair sends an important signal for academic freedom and transatlantic networking. With her expertise and experience, Talja Blokland will strengthen the dialogue between the scientific systems of both countries in the long term."
The chair, created jointly by the DAAD and NYU, has been inviting German academics to spend time in the USA since 1994.

Talja Blokland studied sociology in the Netherlands and received her doctorate from the Amsterdam School for Social Research. She has been a visiting scholar at several international universities and is active in international research networks. Her work has been published widely and has shaped debates in urban sociology and urban studies far beyond the German-speaking world.

Max Weber Chair

The Max Weber Chair was established in 1994 by the DAAD and NYU. Together with eighteen other "German Studies Lectureships", it is part of the DAAD's North America Strategy. The aim is to strengthen German and European topics as well as theoretical and methodological approaches related to Germany in the teaching programmes of leading North American universities. After the ten-year DAAD funding period expires, the chair will be financed by NYU's endowment fund. The DAAD is responsible for organising the application and selection process. Before Talja Blokland, Claus Leggewie, Detlef Pollack, Michael Minkenberg, Christiane Lemke, Christian Martin and, most recently, Thomas Zittel held the chair.