Boris Vormann is a guest professor in political science and urban political economy at Freie Universität’s John-F.-Kennedy Institute for North American Studies and an associated researcher at the Chaire de Recherche du Canada en Études Québécoises et Canadiennes (CRÉQC), Université du Québec à Montréal (UQAM). Vormann has held visiting positions at the CUNY Graduate Center, Harvard University, and New York University. He has lectured widely, in Germany and abroad, including talks and seminars in the United States, Canada, Great Britain, France, and Jordan.

Boris Vormann's research and teaching focus on the relationship between urbanization and globalization; urban and state theory; nations and nationalism; and changes in state-market relations in infrastructure provision. He has conducted research on urban planning strategies in North American global cities, social policies in the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom, and nationalism in North America and Europe. 

Vormann has published the monograph ’Zwischen Alter und Neuer Welt. Nationenbildung im transatlantischen Raum’ (2012) and has co-edited the volume ’Québec. Staat und Gesellschaft’ (2011). His book 'Global Port Cities in North America: Urbanization Processes and Global Production Networks' is out with Routledge (2015) and a handbook on policy and politics in the United States (Springer VS 2015) which he has coedited with Christian Lammert and Markus Siewert is available online. Additonally, Vormann is a regular commentator on public policy debates for different media outlets (including Deutsche Welle, Deutschlandfunk, and Deutschlandradio Kultur).

Vormann received the 2015 Fulbright American Studies Award from the German Fulbright Commission and the German Association for American Studies. His current project examines the role of the state in building the urban infrastructures of expanding global trade networks.

Academic Positions

10/2015-03/2017   

Visiting Professor

Dept. of Political Science

John-F.-Kennedy Institute, Freie Universität Berlin

 

07/2015-03/2016   

Associate Scholar

Mahindra Humanities Center / Urban Theory Lab

Harvard University

09/2015-10/2015   

Fulbright Fellow

Center for Place, Culture and Politics

CUNY Graduate Center

 

07/2015                   

Visiting Scholar

The Watson Institute for International Studies

Brown University

 

04/2013-09/2015

Postdoctoral Fellow and Lecturer

Dept. of Political Science, Graduate School of North American Studies

John-F.-Kennedy Institute, Freie Universität Berlin

 

10/2014-09/2015   

Group Leader

NYLON Berlin, Einstein Group

Georg-Simmel Center for Metropolitan Studies

Humboldt Universität zu Berlin

 

03/2014-04/2014   

Visiting Researcher

Institute for Public Knowledge

New York University

 

Since 10/2011        

Associated Researcher

Chaire de Recherche du Canada en Études Québécoises et Canadiennes

Université du Québec à Montréal

 

Education 

10/2009-03/2013

Ph.D. in Political Science (summa cum laude)

Graduate School of North American Studies, Freie Universität Berlin

Dissertation Title: "Blind Spots of Globalization. Neoliberalization Processes, Technological Innovation, and Socio-Spatial Change in North American Port Cities"

 

09/2011-05/2012

Visiting doctoral candidate in Political Science/Sociology

New York University, New York

 

10/2004-09/2009

M.A. in Cultural Studies, Literature, Linguistics

(American/French and Romance Studies)

Technische Universität, Dresden

 

09/2007-05/2008

Visiting Fulbright fellow in International Relations & Diplomacy

Seton Hall University, New Jersey

 

10/2003-10/2004

B.A. equivalent in Cultural Studies, Literature, Linguistics

(American/French and Romance Studies)

Technische Universität, Dresden

Summer 2017

Lecturer, Master Course: "The Roots of Liberalism and of its Critique." Political Science. John-F.-Kennedy Institute/Otto-Suhr-Institute, Freie Universität

Lecturer, Master Course: "Democracy and the State." [Co-taught with Christian Lammert]. Political Science. John-F.-Kennedy Institute/Otto-Suhr-Institute, Freie Universität

Lecturer, Bachelor Course: "Political Theory." Political Science. John-F.-Kennedy Institute/Otto-Suhr-Institute, Freie Universität

Lecturer, Colloquium: "Master-Colloquium Politics." Political Science. John-F.-Kennedy Institute/Otto-Suhr-Institute, Freie Universität

Lecturer, Grad School Course: "Theories and Methods in Political and Social Studies." Political Science. John-F.-Kennedy Institute/Otto-Suhr-Institute, Freie Universität

Winter 2016/17

Lecturer, Master Course: "Logistics and Urbanization Patterns." Political Science. John-F.-Kennedy Institute/Otto-Suhr-Institute, Freie Universität

Lecturer, Master Course: "The Politics of Inequality." Political Science. John-F.-Kennedy Institute/Otto-Suhr-Institute, Freie Universität

Lecturer, Master Colloquium. Political Science. John-F.-Kennedy Institute/Otto-Suhr-Institute, Freie Universität

Lecturer, Bachelor Course: "Economic Restructuring, Regionalization and US Federalism." Political Science. John-F.-Kennedy Institute/Otto-Suhr-Institute, Freie Universität

Summer 2016

Lecturer, Master Course: "Globalization and the State." Political Science. John-F.-Kennedy Institute/Otto-Suhr-Institute, Freie Universität

Lecturer, Master Course: "Planetary Urbanization." Political Science. John-F.-Kennedy Institute/Otto-Suhr-Institute, Freie Universität

Lecturer, Master Colloquium. Political Science. John-F.-Kennedy Institute/Otto-Suhr-Institute, Freie Universität

Lecturer, Bachelor Course: "The Entrepreneurial State." Political Science. John-F.-Kennedy Institute/Otto-Suhr-Institute, Freie Universität

Lecturer, Bachelor Course: "Urban Theory." Political Science. John-F.-Kennedy Institute/Otto-Suhr-Institute, Freie Universität

Winter 2015/2016

Lecturer, Master Course: “Theories of the American State.” Political Science. John-F.-Kennedy Institute/Otto-Suhr Institute, Freie Universität Berlin

Lecturer, Master Course: “Nations and Nationalism in North America.” Political Science. John-F.-Kennedy Institute/Otto-Suhr Institute, Freie Universität Berlin

Lecturer, Bachelor Course: “Global Cities in the United States.” Political Science. John-F.-Kennedy Institute/Otto-Suhr Institute, Freie Universität Berlin

Lecturer, Bachelor Course: “American Exceptionalism.” Political Science. John-F.-Kennedy Institute/Otto-Suhr Institute, Freie Universität Berlin

Summer 2015

Lecturer, Master Course: “Liberal Nationalism and American Empire.” Political Science. John-F.-Kennedy Institute/Otto-Suhr Institute, Freie Universität Berlin

Summer 2014

Lecturer, Summer School: "Linking Urbanization and Globalization." Political Science & Sociology. Global Politics Summer School Jordan "Migration and Urbanization in a Globalized World" in Amman, Jordan. Freie Universität Berlin / DAAD

 Winter 2013/14

Lecturer Master Course  "Critical Theory"- Political Science. John-F.-Kennedy Institute/Otto-Suhr Institute, Freie Universität Berlin 

Summer 2013 

Lecturer, Master Course: "Nation, State, and Market. Legitimacy and the Formation of  Public Goods in Comparative Perspective."   Political Science. John-F.-Kennedy Institute/Otto-Suhr Institute, Freie Universität Berlin  

Module Supervisor, Master Online Course: "Changing Patterns of Governance: Mega  Cities."  Political Science. Center for Global Politics, Freie Universität Berlin  

 Winter 2012/13 

Lecturer, Master Course: "Spectacles and Infrastructures of the Global. Sites, Technologies, and Politics of Neoliberalization Processes."  Political Science. John-F.-Kennedy Institute/Otto-Suhr Institute, Freie Universität Berlin  

 Winter 2010/11 

Lecturer, Bachelor Course: "Political and Economic Inequalities in the Unites States since  the 1980s." [Co-taught with Julia Püschel].  Political Science & Economics. John-F.-Kennedy Institute/Otto-Suhr Institute, Freie Universität Berlin  

Research Areas

▪   Urbanization and Globalization

▪   State-Market Relations

▪   International Political Economy and Comparative Political Science

▪   North American Studies

 

Third-Party Funding, Grants and Awards

2015  

Fulbright American Studies Award

Global Humanities Fellowship for Harvard, Dahlem Humanities Center

Research Alumni Program for Brown Univ., Freie Universität Berlin

Postdoctoral Scholarship, GSNAS [from 2013]

 

2014              

Stiftung Luftbrückendank, conference support

Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG), conference support

German Association for American Studies (DGFA), conference support

 

2013              

Salzburg Global Seminar Scholarship Award

Transitional Grant, Freie Universität Berlin

Research Grant, Université du Québec à Montréal

Follow-up Fellowship, Graduate School of North American Studies [from 2012]

Doctoral Scholarship, DFG [from 2009]

 

2012  

Dissertation Research Fellowship, New York University

 

2011  

Futures of American Studies Institute, Dartmouth College, GSNAS [awarded but declined]

 

2010  

Clinton Institute for American Studies Summer School, University College Dublin, GSNAS Participant

 

2009              

International Futures, Delegate for the Federal Republic of Germany

Lohrmann Medal for best degree at the Department of Cultural Studies, Literature, and Linguistics (Technische Universität Dresden)

 

2007-2008   

Fulbright Scholarship (Fulbright Commission) 

 

Conference & Workshop Organizations

05/2015        

"Arrival City. Redeveloping the McGraw area" Workshop at TU München

 

03/2015        

"Politicizing Temporalities." NYLON Annual Conference, Humboldt Universität/New York University/ London School of Economics

 

04/2014        

"Global Cities and the Urbanization of the World." Panel with Neil Brenner and Roger Keil, John-F.-Kennedy Institute for North American Studies

 

11/2013        

"The United States in Crisis?" Annual Conference of the German Association for American Studies (DGfA)/Atlantic Academy

 

03/2012        

"Under Construction. The Uses and Meanings of Infrastructure." Berlin Graduate School of Social Science (BGSS), NYLON Conference, Workshop

 

06/2010        

"States of Emergency – Interdisciplinary Perspectives on the Dynamics of Crisis." Annual Conference, Graduate School of North American Studies, John F. Kennedy Institute

Monographs

Vormann, Boris. 2015. Global Port Cities in North America: Urbanization Processes and Global Production Networks. Routledge: London and New York.

–––. 2012. Zwischen Alter und Neuer Welt. Nationenbildung im transatlantischen Raum. Synchron Publishers: Heidelberg. ["Between the Old and the New World. Nationbuilding in Transatlantic Space."]

 

Edited Volumes

Vormann, Boris, Lammert, Christian and Markus Siewert (eds.). 2015. Handbuch Politik USA. Springer VS: Wiesbaden. ["Handbook of US Politics and Policy"]

–––, Kolboom, Ingo and Alain-G. Gagnon (eds.). 2011. Québec. Staat und Gesellschaft. Synchron Publishers: Heidelberg. ["Québec. State and Society"]

 

Peer-Reviewed Journal Articles 

Vormann, Boris. 2016. "Urban Diversity: Disentangling the Cultural and the Economic Case." New Diversities.[In print]

–––. 2016. "Infrastructures of the Global: Adding a Third Dimension to Urban Sustainability Discourses" European Journal of American Studies. [In print]

–––. 2015. "Toward an Infrastructural Critique of Urban Change. Obsolescence and Changing Perceptions of New York City’s Waterfront." CITY 19 (2-3): 332-340.

–––, and Christian Lammert. 2015. "Has Quebecois Separatism Run its Course? New Chances for Cooperative Arrangements in Canada." Zeitschrift für Kanadastudien 35: 45-62.

–––. 2014. "Who Needs American Studies? Globalization, Nationalism, and the Future of Area Studies." American Studies/Amerikastudien 59 (3): 387-406

–––, and Gina Caison. 2014. "The Logics and Logistics of Urban Progress. Contradictions and Conceptual Challenges of the Global North-South-Divide." The Global South 8 (2): 65-83.

–––, and Christian Lammert. 2014. "A Paradoxical Relationship? Regionalization and Canadian National Identity." American Review of Canadian Studies 44 (4): 385-399.

–––. 2014. "Infrastrukturen der globalen Stadt. Widersprüche des urbanen Nachhaltigkeitsdiskurses am Beispiel Vancouvers." Zeitschrift für Kanadastudien 34: 62-86. [Infrastructures of the Global City. Contradictions of Urban Sustainability Discourses in the Case of Vancouver"]

–––, and Sonja Schillings. 2013. "The Vanishing Poor. Frontier Narratives in US Gentrification and Security Debates." UCLA Critical Urban Planning 20: 145-165.

 

Articles Currently Under Peer-Review

Vormann, Boris. "Three Blind Men and an Elephant: The Dilemmas and Politics of Market Failure."

–––. "Urban Ecology, National Infrastructures, and Planetary Urbanization."

–––, and Hillary Angelo. "Long Waves of Urban Reform: Putting the ‘Smart City’ in its Place."

 

Articles and Book Chapters

Vormann, Boris. 2016. "Greater than the Sum of its Parts. The Unrealized Potentials of Interdisciplinary American Studies." In: American Studies – a Monograph Series, Universitätsverlag C. Winter: Heidelberg. [In print]

–––, and Ingo Kolboom. 2016. "Frankophonie. Kulturelle Makro-Region und Global Player." In: Oberreuter, Heinrich (ed.) Staatslexikon. 8. Auflage. Görres-Gesellschaft. [In print]

–––. 2016. "Beneath and Beyond the Sustainable City." In: American Studies – a Monograph Series, Universitätsverlag C. Winter: Heidelberg. [In print]

–––. 2016. "Stadt- und Regionalpolitik in den USA: Globale Ströme und lokale Verankerung." In: Vormann, Boris; Lammert, Christian; Siewert, Markus (eds.). Handbuch Politik USA. Springer VS: Wiesbaden, 403-420. ["Urban and Regional Politics in the United States"]

–––, and Christian Lammert. 2016. "Gesellschaft in der Krise? Neue Ungleichheiten in den USA." In: Vormann, Boris; Lammert, Christian; Siewert, Markus (eds.). Handbuch Politik USA. Springer VS: Wiesbaden, 601-616. ["A Society in Crisis? New Inequalities in the United States"]

–––, and Christian Lammert. 2016. "Kommunalpolitik in den USA." In: Vormann, Boris; Lammert, Christian; Siewert, Markus (eds.). Handbuch Politik USA. Springer VS: Wiesbaden, 225-240. ["Local Government in the United States"]

–––, Lammert, Christian and Markus Siewert. 2016. "Fremde Vertraute: Die Politik der Vereinigten Staaten von Amerika." In: Vormann, Boris; Lammert, Christian; Siewert, Markus (eds.). Handbuch Politik USA. Springer VS: Wiesbaden, 1-12. ["Intimate Strangers: Politics in the United States of America"]

–––. 2014. "Das Spiel mit dem Feuer. Von Staaten, Märkten und dem Siegeszug der Austerität." In: Blyth, Mark: Wie Europa sich kaputtspart. Die gescheiterte Idee der Austeritätspolitik. Dietz: Bonn, 9-15. ["Of States, Markets, and the Rise of Austerity"]

–––. 2014. "Diversität und Föderalismus im frühen 21. Jahrhundert. Eine deutsche Perspektive." In: Gagnon, Alain-G.: Das Zeitalter der Ungewissheiten. Essays über Föderalismus und nationale Diversität. Nomos: Baden-Baden, 9-23. ["Diversity and Federalism in the early 21st Century. A German Perspective"]

––– and Julia Püschel. 2012. "Grey Zones of the Market – Public Services, Education Policies, and Neoliberal Reform in the United Kingdom." In: Lall, Marie (ed.): Policy, Discourse and Rhetoric. How New Labour Challenged Social Justice and Democracy. Sense Publishers: Rotterdam/Boston/Taipei. 15-40.

–––. 2011. "Visibilizing Risk. Risk Perception and Maritime Infrastructure in the ‘War on Terror’." In: Fluck, Winfried; Motyl, Katharina; Pease, Donald; Raetzsch, Christoph (ed.): REAL Yearbook of Research in English and American Literature Vol 27. Gunter Narr Verlag: Tübingen, 2011. 317-335.

––– and Ingo Kolboom. 2011. "Québec – Ein Land zwischen nationaler Selbstbehauptung und Globalisierung. Einleitung zur deutschen Ausgabe." In: Vormann, Boris; Kolboom, Ingo; Gagnon, Alain-G. (eds.). Québec. Staat und Gesellschaft. Synchron Publishers: Heidelberg, 2011. ["Québec - A Country between National Affirmation and Globalization"]

 

Conference Papers

Vormann, Boris. 2016. "Present Global Challenges and Cities of the Future." Summer School at the Principles of Cultural Dynamics Network, August 1-5. [Invited talk, confirmed]

–––. 2016. "Growing Apart: Wirtschaft und Gesellschaft im Krisenmodus." Atlantische Akademie Summer School, Aug 3. [Invited talk, confirmed]

–––. 2016. "Urban Landscapes of Creative Destruction." New York University, Apr 26. [Invited talk, confirmed]

–––. 2016. "Infrastructures of American Empire: State politics and the expansion of global trade networks." Max Planck Sciences Po Center (MaxPo), Paris, March 22. [Invited talk]

–––. 2016. "Sozialismus in den USA? Das Phänomen Bernie Sanders" Deutsch-Amerikanisches Zentrum / James-F.-Byrnes Institut, Stuttgart, February 17. [Invited talk]

–––. 2016. "On ending history in the United States, 25 years onwards." Ringvorlesung FU Berlin, Jan 28.

–––. 2015. "’Einwanderungsland als Aufgabe der Kultur." PAP Branchentreffen, Aufbauhaus, 9.10. [Invited talk]

–––. 2015. "How just is the sustainable city?" Fordham University, New York City, September 29. [Invited talk]

–––. 2015. "Urban Diversity. A Cipher for the Market." Max Planck Institute for the Study of Religious and Ethnic Diversity. Workshop: The Infrastructures of Diversity: Materiality and Culture in Urban Space, July 9-10. [Invited talk]

–––. 2015. "Migration, Diversity, and Urban Design." TU München, May 27. [Invited talk]

–––. 2015. "Revitalisierung und Gentrifizierung – Ein Blick über den Atlantik." Dialog Extrem, Chair for Urban Design and Urbanization, Technische Universität Berlin, April 15. [Invited talk]

–––. 2015. "Accommodating Diversity: Models of Nationhood, Citizenship and Belonging in Canada." Annual Meeting of the Association for Canadian Studies in German-speaking Countries (GKS), Grainau, Feb 7. [Invited talk; with Christian Lammert]

–––. 2014. "The State, the States, and the Problem of Trust." Ringvorlesung, JFKI, Dec 17.

–––. 2014. "Fixing Infrastructure: Cities, States, and Globalization." International Lecture Series, Center for Metropolitan Studies, Technische Universität Berlin. Dec 2. [Invited talk]

–––. 2014. "Market Failure: Global Cities, States, and the Financing of Networked Mobility Spaces." Looking Forward, 2014: Current Projects in American Studies, Nov 14, JFKI. [Invited talk]

–––. 2014. "The Fall of theWall +25: What was Gained and at What Cost?" Brown University, Panel, Nov 3. [Invited talk]

–––. 2014. "Workshop: US Politics and Policy after the Cold War." Political Science Colloquium, JFKI, Oct 21.

–––. 2014. "Urbanität und Natur." Nordwind-Festival Urban Species, Berlin, Aug 16. [Invited talk]

–––. 2014. "The Spatial Politics of the Triumphant City." 61st Annual Conference of the German Association for American Studies, "America After Nature: Democracy, Culture, Environment." Würzburg, June 12-15.

–––. 2014. "Das Zeitalter der Ungewissheiten." Institut Français München, Feb 25. [Invited talk]

–––. 2014. "Theses on Globalization and State-sponsored Mobilities." Interdisciplinary Forum, John-F.-Kennedy Institute for North American Studies, Freie Universität Berlin, Feb 12.

–––. 2014. "Globalization and Urbanization: Global Cities in Global Production Networks." Guest Lecture at the University for Applied Sciences Berlin (HTW). Jan 10. [Invited talk]

–––. 2013. "Globalization, Nationalism, and the Future of Area Studies." Georgia State University, Department of English (per skype), Nov 6. [Invited talk]

–––. 2013. "The US Government Shutdown - Crisis or strategy?" Roundtable with Mark Blyth, William Glass, Thomas Greven, Christian Lammert, and Margit Mayer. John-F.-Kennedy Institute for North American Studies, Freie Universität Berlin, Nov 5.

–––. 2013. "Global Port Cities. The Spatial Logics of Postindustrial Urban Progress." RC21 Conference Resourceful Cities, Humboldt-University Berlin, Institute for Social Science, Dept. for Urban and Regional Sociology, Berlin, Aug 29-31.

–––. 2013. "Nations after the Fact? A Social Science Perspective." The Discourse of the National in the Humanities; Symposium at the Department of Literature, Area Studies and European Languages, Faculty of Humanities, University of Oslo, May 29. [Invited talk]

–––. 2013. "Crises and the Rise of Urban Networked Mobility Spaces." Graduate Conference at the John-F.-Kennedy Institute, Berlin, May 24.

–––. 2013. "New Forms of State Power and the Erosion of Public Goods in the US." Political Science Colloquium, John-F.-Kennedy Institute, Freie Universität Berlin, April 16.

–––. 2013. "Re-Framing the Public Good. The Context Dependence of Market Failure." Eleventh Annual NYLON Conference, LSE, London, March 18.

–––. 2012. "Post-industrial Utopia. Leisure Islands in Logistics Cities." North American Studies Colloquium, Technische Universität Dresden, Dec 3.

–––. 2012. "Global Cities and Global Production." Jahrestagung der Politikwissenschaftler in der Deutschen Gesellschaft für Amerikastudien. Atlantische Akademie, Lambrecht, Nov 10.

–––. 2012. "Urbanity in Goods-moving Economies. The Rise of the Neoliberal Port City in North America." Political Science Colloquium, JFKI, July 3.

–––. 2012. "Seamless Flows. Securitizing Circulation after September 11, 2001." NYLON Research Network, New York University, New York City, April 23.

–––. 2012. "Frontier Narratives in New York City’s Gentrification and Security Debates." NYLON Research Network, New York University, New York City, April 2.

–––. 2012. "Under Construction. The Uses and Meanings of Infrastructure." Workshop organized with Hillary Angelo, Natalia Besodovsky, Stefan Hoehne, David Madden. Tenth Annual NYLON Conference, Berlin Graduate School of Social Science (BGSS), Berlin, March 14.

–––. 2010. "(Infra-)Structural Inequality: The Nexus of Visibility and Power in the Neoliberal Port City." Clinton Institute Summer School, UCD Clinton Institute, Dublin, July 17.

–––. 2010. "Divide and Conquer. The ‘Separation of Uses’ in Post-9/11 North American Port Cities." Graduate Conference at the John-F.-Kennedy Institute, Berlin, June 12.

–––. 2009. “Change we can believe in? Außenpolitik, Wirtschaft und Bildung vor und unter Obama.“ Welthafen, Technische Universität Dresden, Dresden. April 27.

 

Academic Translations (books)

Blyth, Mark. 2014. Wie Europa sich kaputt spart. Die gescheiterte Idee der Austeritätspolitik. Übersetzung aus dem Englischen von Boris Vormann. Dietz Verlag: Bonn. [Original title: "Austerity. The History of a Dangerous Idea," Oxford University Press]

Gagnon, Alain-G. 2014. Das Zeitalter der Ungewissheiten. Essays über Föderalismus und nationale Diversität. Übersetzung aus dem Französischen von Boris Vormann. Nomos: Baden-Baden. ["National Minorities in an Age of Uncertainty," Toronto University Press]

Gagnon, Alain-G.; Kolboom, Ingo and Boris Vormann (Hrsg.). 2011. Québec. Staat und Gesellschaft. Synchron Publishers: Heidelberg. ["Quebec. State and Society," Broadview Press]