Michael Reiterer pursued his academic career always in parallel to his diplomatic one at the Austrian and then European service. After graduating as Dr. jur. from the University of Innsbruck (1978), post-graduate studies at the Johns Hopkins University/Bologna Centre (Diploma 1979) and the Graduate Institute for International Studies in Geneva (Diploma 1983) were further stepping stones to his habilitation (PhD equivalent) in International Politics at the University of Innsbruck (2005, Institute for Political Science) focussing on EU-Asia relations. EU foreign policy, EU-Asia relations in particular with Japan and Korea, the Indo-Pacific, inter-regionalism, security issues, new forms of diplomacy, human rights are now the main focus of his research, having previously published extensively on international trade law and relations including WTO, trade and environment and the Asia Europe Meeting (ASEM).
Adjunct professor for international politics at University of Innsbruck; Webster University, Vienna; Libera Università Internazionale degli Studi Sociali “Guido Carli” (LUISS), Rome; Danube University, Krems/Austria. Guest Professorships at the Graduate School of International Relations/Ritsumeikan/Kyoto and Asia Pacific University/Beppu 2023/24; March 2022 online at the Law Faculty of Ritsumeikan University, April-July 2022 in situ at Kobe University as well as in 2014, 2015; Keio University (2008), the Graduate School of Political Science, Tokyo Japan. Guests lectures i.a. at Waseda University, International Christian University, University of Tokyo, University of Foreign Languages, Hitosobashi University, Aoyama University, Hosei University, Sophia University (Tokyo); Kyushu University, Kyushu Sangyo University (Fukuoka), Ritsumeikan Asia Pacific University, APU (Beppu), Ritsumekan University (Kyoto), Doshisha University (Kyoto), Kyoto University, Kwansei University, Setsuma University, Osaka University; Kagawa University, University of Oita, Kyushu University. Republic of Korea: i.a. Seoul National, Korea University, Yonsei University; Hankuk University of Foreign Studies (HUFS); Kyung Hee University; Ewa Womens University/ Seoul; Wonkwang University/Iksan, Busan National University.
In September 2020 he retired from the European Diplomatic Service (European External Action Service-EEAS) as Ambassador plenipotentiary and extraordinary of the European Union to the Republic of Korea (2017-2020); previous posts incl. Ambassador to Switzerland and the Principality of Liechtenstein (2007-2011), Deputy Head of Mission/Minister at the EU Delegation to Japan (2002-2006), Counsellor in charge of ASEM (Asia-Europe Meeting) at the European Commission (1998-2001), Minister Counsellor at the Austrian Permanent Representation to the EU (1997-1998), Counsellor at the Austrian Permanent Representation to the GATT (1990-1992), Austrian Deputy Trade Commissioner for West Africa (out of Ivory Coast, 1982-1984) and to Japan (1985-1988). He co-chaired the Joint Group of Trade and Environment Experts at the OECD, served as panellist in the WTO dispute settlement and was a member of the European Economic and Social Committee.
Additional activities
Associate Fellow, Global Fellowship Initiative at the Geneva Centre for Security Policy (GCSP)
Senior Research Associate, Vienna Institute for International Economic Studies (WIIW)
Senior Advisor: Center for Asia Pacific Strategy (CAPS), Washington D.C.; Austrian Institute for European and Security Policy
Member of the Academic Advisory Board of the Centre for EU-Asia Connectivity, Jean Monnet Centre of Excellence at Ruhr-Universität Bochum
Member of the Scientific Advisory Board of the European Forum Alpbach/Austria
Member of the Council of the Jean Monnet Foundation for Europe, Lausanne/Switzerland
Member of the Advisory Board of the Austrian Society for European Policy (former VP).
Distinctions: Order of Merit in Silver with Star (2019), Government of the Republic of Austria; Honorary Citizenship of Seoul (2020), Seoul Metropolitan Government, Republic of Korea.
