RICHARD ROEWER
Education, capacity building, and research

About
My work combines insights from political science research and experience in education- and capacity building. I currently serve as the director of the Kreisau-Initiative in Berlin. Our work focuses on designing and organising state of the art education programmes that explore contemporary history & human rights, advance inclusion, and try to find responses to the challenges arising from the socio-ecological transformation of our world.
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Previously I was a research fellow with the German Institute for Global and Area Studies, where I remain an associate, and a DPhil candidate at the Department of Politics and International Relations at the University of Oxford, where I completed a PhD in politics. My research focuses on Myanmar politics and more broadly on political parties in less institutionalised party systems and their roles in shaping the trajectory of hybrid-regimes. I am also interested in elections, good governance, and the role of protest movements in such settings.

Work
I am an experienced project manager with a focus on designing and implementing education- and political capacity development projects for a diverse range of stakeholders. I have overseen the implementation of projects in many European countries, but also in closed political environments like Myanmar, where I have worked intermittently for over ten years. I am chiefly interested in promoting and strengthening democracy and human rights, working with young people, civil society, and political parties and creating opportunities for political education that fill a real gap.
My research looks at the ways in which pro-democratic political parties in authoritarian states are shaped by the political conditions of such states. Specifically, I explore how these conditions affect party identity, party organisation, and the parties' political culture. More broadly, my interests include democratisation, authoritarian resurgence, hybrid regimes, political party development, opposition movements and forms of protest. Most of my research focuses on Myanmar. You can find a full version of my CV here.
I consult a variety of organisations within the scope of my expertise and do at times teach, for example on political party development in Southeast Asia, qualitative research methods, and public policy.
I love working collaboratively. Get in touch if you see opportunities for cooperation, want to participate in one of our current programmes, or have an idea you would like to discuss.
Supporting students from Myanmar
I am passionate about supporting social science students from Myanmar who want to take the next step in their education. I have many years of experience in mentoring students and helping them identify possible places to study abroad and matching scholarship schemes. I also provide pro-bono advice on crafting successful applications for both university courses and scholarship schemes. Get in touch, if this applies to you or someone you know.
Publications
Roewer, Richard (2026), ‘Myanmar’, in Asia in Crisis, edited by Maartje De Visser and Po Jen Yap, Abingdon: Routledge.
As guest editor: Nan Lin (2023), ‘My Dangerous, Lonely Life in Myanmar’s Resistance’, in New York Times.
Roewer, Richard and Han Htoo Khant Paing (2023), ‘Myanmar’s Parliament’, in The Parliaments in Asia Reader, edited by Rehan Abeyratne und Po Jen Yap, Abingdon: Routledge.
As guest editor: Nilar Thein (2022), ‘Our Worst Fears Have Come True in Myanmar’, in New York Times.
Roewer, Richard and Han Htoo Khant Paing (2022), ‘Fighting the Fear: The Execution of Members of Myanmar’s Opposition Must be Stopped’, in The Diplomat.
Roewer, Richard and Han Htoo Khant Paing (2021), ‘Democracy in Myanmar Needs German Support’, in Vorwärts (in German).
Roewer, Richard (2020), ‘Three Faces of Party Organisation in the National League for Democracy’ in Journal of Current Southeast Asian Affairs, 38 (3), pp. 286-306.
Bünte, Marco, Köllner, Patrick und Roewer, Richard (2020), ‘Taking Stock Myanmar’s Political Transformation since 2011’ in: (ed.) Journal of Current Southeast Asian Affairs, 38 (3), pp. 249-264.
Roewer, Richard (2020), ‘The Political Dynamics of Myanmar Facing the International Court of Justice’ in The Oxford University Politics Blog.
Roewer, Richard (2020), ‘What the NLD’s top-down party structure means for Myanmar’ in East Asia Forum.
Han Htoo Khant Paing and Roewer, Richard (2018), ‘Testing the Water: the 2018 By-Elections and Myanmar’s Political Future’ in Tea Circle Oxford.
Roewer, Richard (2016), ‘Myanmar’s National League for Democracy at a Crossroads’, in GIGA Focus Asia.
