Dr. Marco Verweij

Professor of Political Science,

Constructor University Bremen, Germany

Major Achievements

An internationally recognized political scientist specializing in global governance, climate policy, and the analysis of complex (“wicked”) problems.

Developed the concept of “clumsy solutions,” which emphasizes the integration of multiple rationalities and institutional diversity in addressing complex policy challenges, with significant impact on environmental governance and public policy studies.

Conducts interdisciplinary research that bridges political science, social theory, and affective neuroscience, contributing to innovative approaches in understanding decision-making and governance.

Recipient of the NWO–von Humboldt Research Award (2017), a prestigious international recognition of academic excellence.

Awarded Professor of the Year Teaching Award twice (2008, 2020) for outstanding teaching performance.

Served as Associate Editor and reviewer for leading international journals, including Frontiers in Climate and European Societies, and actively involved in international research collaborations and policy advisory work.

Research contributions have been widely applied to key global issues such as climate change, energy governance, marine resource management, and global political systems.

Verweij, M. (2011). Clumsy Solutions for a Wicked World: How to Improve Global Governance. Palgrave Macmillan.
Verweij, M. (2000). Transboundary Environmental Problems and Cultural Theory. Palgrave Macmillan.
Verweij, M. (2026). A cultural theory of support for populism: Fatalism and polyrational governance. Frontiers in Political Science.
Verweij, M. (2025). A cultural theory of populist leadership. Frontiers in Political Science.
Verweij, M., & Damasio, A. (2024). Economics from a biological perspective. Journal of Economic Methodology.
Verweij, M. (2023). Clumsy solutions and climate change: A retrospective. WIREs Climate Change.
Verweij, M. et al. (2020). Cultural theory and social science classifications. Sociological Theory.
Ney, S., & Verweij, M. (2015). Messy institutions for wicked problems. Policy Studies Journal.
Verweij, M. et al. (2006). Clumsy solutions for a complex world. Public Administration.

Period	Organization	Positation
2007–present	Constructor University Bremen, Germany	Professor of Political Science
2004–2006	Singapore Management University, Singapore	Associate Professor
1998–2003	Max Planck Institute for Research on Collective Goods, Germany	Senior Research Fellow
2018	Tilburg University, Netherlands	Visiting Fellow
2017, 2016	University of Southern California, USA	Visiting Scholar
2014	University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), USA	Visiting Scholar
2004	University of Oxford, UK	Visiting Scholar
2003	Universitat Pompeu Fabra, Spain	Visiting Scholar

Associate Editor, Frontiers in Climate（2023–）
Associate Editor, European Societies（2015–2021）
Reviewer for leading journals including Global Environmental Change, Political Psychology, Public Administration Review, etc.
Reviewer for international research funding agencies and institutions (e.g., NSF, Humboldt Foundation, DFG).