Our visiting scholars are part of our vibrant research community
Current Visiting Scholars
The below list covers all bona fide visitors to the Department of POLIS:
| Name | Start date | End date |
| Nikita Samdariya | 01/05/2025 | 31/08/2025 |
| Dr Tim Heinkelmann-Wild | 06/05/2025 | 31/07/2025 |
Visiting Scholar Profiles
Nikita Samdariya - Visiting until 31/08/2025
Nikita Samdariya is a law graduate from Symbiosis Law School, Hyderabad (SLS-H), where she earned her B.A. LL.B. in 2021 as the Batch Topper. She then pursued an LL.M. at National Law University, Delhi (NLUD), specializing in Constitutional Law, Human Rights, and International Humanitarian Law, graduating as the Gold Medallist for Second Rank.
She has previously served as an Assistant Professor at SLS-H and is currently a Ph.D. scholar at NLUD. Her doctoral research, A Claim for an ‘Overall’ Constitutional Legitimacy: A Critical Study of the Indian Constitution (working title), examines constitutional legitimacy beyond conventional normative frameworks. It also explores the political dimensions of legitimacy, analyzing how power, social dynamics, and political practices shape the acceptance and stability of constitutional orders, particularly in the Indian context.
Dr Tim Heinkelmann-Wild - Visiting until 31/07/2025
Tim Heinkelmann-Wild is a senior researcher and lecturer at LMU Munich’s Geschwister-Scholl-Institute of Political Science. His research inter alia focuses on the relationship of international institutions, power, and order. In his doctoral project, he examined how the termination of support by the US impacts international organizations and agreements. He was a Junior Visiting Fellow at the University of Oxford’s Nuffield College and the Department of Politics and International Relations (DPIR). His research has appeared in journals such as the Review of International Organizations, International Studies Quarterly, the Review of International Studies, the European Journal of Political Research, and the Journal of European Public Policy. His co-authored book “European Blame Games” was published in 2024 by Oxford University Press.
As a Visiting Fellow at POLIS, Tim Heinkelmann-Wild will conduct research about current challenges to international organizations, such as the UN, the WTO, the OSCE, and the EU, and analyse how leadership by their bureaucracies and member states can contributes to institutional resilience.
Become a Visiting Scholar at the Department of POLIS
The Department of Politics and International Studies (POLIS) Visitors Programme welcomes a small number of scholars each year. The Programme is aimed at scholars in established posts in other academic institutions.
Find out how to apply