Buthe receives award for German and European studies scholarship

Tim Buthe, an associate professor of political science, has been awarded the 2012 DAAD-AICGS Prize for Distinguished Scholarship in German and European Studies.

The award, given by the German academic exchange service (DAAD) and Johns-Hopkins' American Institute for Contemporary German Studies (AICGS), recognizes an outstanding publication record in the field of German politics and/or international relations in the post-World War II period and innovative contributions to the interdisciplinary scope of German and European Studies.Former Secretary of State Henry Kissinger presented the prize in an Oct. 23 ceremony in New York. Buthe, the author of "New Global Rulers: The Privatization of Regulation in the World Economy," was selected for his academic work and teaching, which focuses on the effects institutions have on the international political system and global economy.  "Buthe's analysis makes important contributions to our understanding of German politics and Germany's role in international relations," said Jackson Janes, the AICGS director. "His work not only contributes to our understanding of Germany in Europe and the world, but it uses Germany as an example to generate broader insights for social sciences in general and advance the discipline as a whole."Kirsten Verclas of AICGS said Buthe analyzes how regulatory authority has devolved to private and non-state actors. "He invented the concept of global private politics, or more specifically how domestic and international institutions interact and 'why some win and others lose in the simultaneous internationalization and privatization of rule-making.'"Eligibility for the prize rotates among three areas of research: foreign and domestic policy studies; business and economics; and society, culture and politics. This is the first time the prize has been awarded to a scholar from Duke."I am honored to have been selected for this award and delighted to accept it, both in recognition of, and as an encouragement for, scholarship that emphasizes the need to understand global economic governance and its consequences in specific historical, cultural and political contexts," Buthe said.