Wolfgang Theodor Wessels (*January 19, 1948 in Cologne) is a German political scientist. He holds the Jean Monnet Chair ad personam in political science, is a retired professor at the University of Cologne, and the head of the Centre for Turkey and European Studies (CETEUS) at the University of Cologne. He graduated with a master's degree in economics and political science in 1973 and subsequently worked as director of the Institute for European Politics from 1973 to 1993. He completed his doctorate in political science in 1979 at the WISO Faculty of the University of Cologne with a thesis on the European Council. Between 1981 and 1994, Wessels also headed the Department of Political Science at the College of Europe. In 1990, Wessels was awarded the venia legendi in political science by the University of Bonn with a thesis on the opening of the state. Since 1994 he has held the chair and since 2011 the ad personam of the Jean Monnet Chair at the University of Cologne. Although Wessels retired in 2016, he continues to conduct research on the European Union with a mandate from the rector at the University of Cologne and represents the University of Cologne as vice president of the German Consortium for the Turkish-German University since 2010.