Saskia Schäfer

My comparative research examines how states and societies negotiate political inclusion and democratic processes across multiple domains – from religious minority rights and democratic participation to urban politics and media discourse. I have studied these dynamics in Indonesia, Malaysia, and Turkey, and analyze how German institutions address diversity and promote civic engagement today.

Since 2025 I lead a research group at Humboldt University examining civic education and responses to rising antisemitism and racism in Germany. Previously (2018-2025) my group Secularity, Islam, and Democracy in Indonesia and Turkey analysed democratic and authoritarian transformations and religious politics. 

Both research groups were funded by the VolkswagenStiftung, securing €2.4 million in competitive funding.

My book, Mobilizing Mainstream Islam (Cornell University Press, 2026), explains the rise and transformation of religious nationalism in post-Suharto Indonesia.

I hold a Dr. phil. from the Otto Suhr Institute at Freie Universität Berlin and completed postdoctoral fellowships at Columbia University (2013-2015) and the Chinese University of Hong Kong (2016).

Before that, I earned an M.A. spanning Southeast Asian Studies, Political Science, and German Literature.