Tilman studied economics and political science in Göttingen. In his studies, he specialised mainly in development economics, but also worked on environmental issues, such as palm oil cultivation in Sumatra or the consequences of climate change for peace and security in Africa. Since May 2022, he has been part of the research team of the Global Coal Exit List (GCEL).
He finds a balance to his daily research work by reading or walking in Tegeler Forst.