Michael KÖHLER

Prof. Michael Köhler currently serves as Ambassador and co-leader of Grand Bargain agreement between some of the largest donors and humanitarian organisations who have committed to improve the effectiveness and efficiency of the humanitarian action. As part of the Grand Bargain process, Michael Köhler oversees the quality funding and catalysing sector-wide transformation (anticipation action, multi-stakeholder collaboration, innovative financing) focus areas.

He serves as a Professor at the College of Europe, Department for General Studies since 1997.

Prof. Köhler served in the European Commission in Brussels from 1994 to 2024. He was the Deputy Director-General for European Civil Protection and Humanitarian Aid Operations in the European Commission’s DG ECHO where he coordinated the world-wide EU humanitarian aid activities. From April 2022 to February 2023, he also served as Acting Director-General at DG ECHO. 

Previously, from 2015 to 2019, he was Director for EU-Neighbourhood Policy at the Directorate-General for Neighbourhood and Enlargement Negotiations (DG NEAR) in the European Commission, where he was responsible for cooperation with Mediterranean Arab countries and Israel. From 2013 to 2014, he had been Director for the Eastern and Southern Neighbourhood in the Directorate-General for development and International Cooperation (DG DEVCO). 

In his earlier years in the European public service, Michael Köhler held various posts with responsibility for the Middle East, the Mediterranean, CFSP, the EU Integrated Maritime Policy and multilateral cooperation in the Directorate General External Relations, Directorate "Middle East and South Mediterranean" (1994 to 2001), then as  Deputy Head of Unit in the Directorate CFSP - Policy Coordination (2001-2004), Deputy Head of Cabinet of Commissioner Joe Borg (2004-2007), Head of Unit for international relations and Law of the Sea, DG MARE (2007-2008), Head of Cabinet of Commissioner Joe Borg in charge of maritime policy and fisheries (2008-2010), and Head of Cabinet of Commissioner Günther H. Oettinger in charge of energy policy.

Before entering the European public service Michael Köhler worked as a Permanent Representative of the Konrad Adenauer Foundation in Morocco 1987-1990 and Tunisia 1990-1993. Between 1993 and1994 he served in the Policy Planning Division of the German Federal Ministry for Economic Co-operation and Development.

Prof. Köhler studied Medieval and Modern History, Oriental Studies, Comparative Religion, Theology and International Law at Bonn, Tübingen and Hamburg Universities where he was awarded his Dr. phil. in 1987. He authored a number of publications in international Islamic studies and foreign policy reviews on aspects of the political, economic and cultural development of the Muslim World, on the Arab League and on regional integration in the Maghreb, co-operation in the Mediterranean and development co-operation. 

He also teaches at Université Paris1 – Panthéon-Sorbonne and at LUISS Guido Carlì in Rome, where he is a Senior Fellow in the School of Governance Mediterranean Platform. 

Prof. Köhler is an Associate Senor Fellow or Board Member of various well-renowned EU, German, Belgian, Spanish, Italian, Swiss and UK-based foundations and think tanks specialising in international relations, peace and mediation, and development studies. Michael Köhler chairs the DGAPforum Brüssel of the German Council on Foreign Relations DGAP and is Honorary Chairman of the Brussels section of Europa-Union Deutschland

Previous assignments:

1993-2000 external lecturer at the University of Bonn, Department of Oriental Studies

1997-1999 Associate Fellow of the Royal Institute of International Affairs, Chatham House, London Senior Fellow

2000-2015 Zentrum für Europäische Integrationsforschung, Universität Bonn

2019-2022 reader in peacebuilding at Sciences Po Paris

Since 1994 various other teaching commitments at the Centre des Etudes et Recherches Economiques et Sociales (CERES), Tunis, Sciences Po Paris, the Sorbonne Nouvelle (Paris) and the Centre des études européennes de Strasbourg (CEES)