12 January 2022

The Wilfried Martens Centre for European Studies is proud to announce that Peter Hefele has been appointed the Centre’s new Policy Director, starting in January 2022.

Bio 

Dr Peter Hefele completed his PhD Studies in Economics and Economic History in 1997 at the Catholic University Eichstätt-Ingolstadt (Germany). He worked as an economic researcher at the Institute for Economy and Society/Bonn and joined the Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung (KAS) in 2003 as Head of the Department of Economic Education. In 2006, he became Head of Division China, South East Asia, India / Team Asia and the Pacific at KAS in Berlin (Germany).

From December 2010 to February 2015, he worked as Director of the China Office of the Konrad-Adenauer-Stiftung in Shanghai. From March 2015 until April 2019, he was Director of the Regional Project “Energy Security and Climate Change” (RECAP), based in Hong Kong SAR / PR China. From May 2019 to November 2021, he was Director of the Department Asia and the Pacific at KAS in Berlin, before joining the Martens Centre.

His main fields of expertise are economic policy, international development cooperation, and energy/climate policy. He is an expert on political, economic, and social developments in Asia and China.

The Policy Director of the Martens Centre is responsible for planning and developing the Centre’s policy agenda and heading the Centre’s research work.

Mikuláš Dzurinda, President of the Wilfried Martens Centre for European Studies said: “With Dr Hefele on board, the Martens Centre and the EPP family of people connected by Christian democratic values will be stronger.”

"Dr Hefele has a strong academic background and experience, not only in Germany but also abroad, with long-standing expertise on Asia and China affairs, being a great asset to the Martens Centre” commented Antonio López-Istúriz White, Secretary-General of the European Peoples’ Party and Secretary-Treasurer of the Martens Centre.

Peter Hefele added: “I am looking forward to providing my experience in Asia-Pacific to strengthen Europe's global role, to foster market-based solutions, human innovation in a digital age and innovative approaches to tackle climate change.”

About the Wilfried Martens Centre for European Studies:

The Wilfried Martens Centre for European Studies, established in 2007, is the political foundation and think tank of the European People’s Party. The Martens Centre embodies a pan-European mindset, promoting Christian Democrat, conservative and like-minded political values. It serves as a framework for national political foundations linked to member parties of the EPP. https://www.martenscentre.eu

For more information please contact Eleftheria Katsi, Communications and Press Assistant: ek@martenscentre.eu