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Monika Kurath

Monika Kurath

Monika Kurath

Prof. Dr.

Dean Research and Faculty

Prorektorat Forschung und Faculty
Tellstrasse 2
9000 St. Gallen
Main Focuses

Science and Technology Studies

Technosciences

Materiality

Epistemic cultures

qualitative approaches

Fields of research

Science & Technology Studies

Further fields of research

Planning Studies

Sociology of Architecture

Technology Studies

Urban Studies

Education

June 2016: Habilitation (venia docendi) in Science and Technology Studies at the University of Vienna, Austria. Thesis title: “Governing the Unknown: Nanotechnology in Europe and the U.S.“ (in German)

April 2005: PhD Economics, University of St.Gallen, Switzerland. Dissertation title: „Science in Crisis: A Transatlantic Comparison of Risk Discourses in Biotechnology“ (in German, supervisors: Prof. Dr. Helga Nowotny and Prof. Dr. Matthias Haller)

November 1997: Master Environmental Sciences, ETH Zurich, Switzerland. Thesis title: „The influence of moderation forms on group problem solving in risk analysis.“ (in German / summa cum laude and Walter Schneider Award) 

Teaching Activities

Spring 2019: Seminar ‘Sociology: Sociology of Science, Technology and Innovation’. Assessment Year Studies, University of St.Gallen, Switzerland (2 ECTS).

Fall 2018: Seminar ‘Sociology: Sociology of Science, Technology and Innovation’. Assessment Year Studies, University of St.Gallen, Switzerland (2 ECTS).

Spring 2018: Seminar ‘Sociology: Sociology of Science, Technology and Innovation’. Assessment Year Studies, University of St.Gallen, Switzerland (2 ECTS).

Fall 2017: Seminar: ‘Reimagining cities: A relational perspective on the making of urban territories’ in the Master of Arts 'Science - Technology -Society', Department of Science and Technology Studies, University of Vienna, Austria (5 ECTS).

Fall 2017: Seminar: ‚ Stadt neu denken: Konzepte von Urbanität in Theorie und in der Stadtplanungspraxis’ Kontextstudium, Bachelor, Universität St.Gallen (2 ECTS)Herbst 2016: Seminar: ‚Stadt neu denken: Gebietserneuerung und urbane Natur’ Kontextstudium, Bachelor, Universität St.Gallen (2 ECTS)  

Fall 2016: Seminar: ‚Stadt neu denken: Gebietserneuerung und urbane Natur’ Kontextstudium, Bachelor, Universität St.Gallen (2 ECTS) 

Fall 2016: Seminar: ‚Cities: An Introduction to Urban Studies’Cross-faculty elective subjects, University of Liechtenstein, Vaduz,Liechtenstein (6 ECTS)

Fall 2015: Seminar 'Assembling Cities: Networks, Spaces and Practices in Urban Regeneration' in the Master of Arts 'Science - Technology -Society', Department of Science and Technology Studies, University of Vienna, Austria (5 ECTS).

Talks

Invited talks

Kurath, Monika: On Artefacts, Agency and Practices: A Relational Perspective on Planning. Departmental Lecture, Department of Anthropology, University of Oxford, UK, 19 October 2018.

Kurath, Monika: Digitale Gesellschaft: Analyse gesellschaftlicher Auswirkungen der digitalen Informations- und Kommunikationstechnologien (IKT). Department of Sociology, University of Passau, Germany, 20 October 2016.

Kurath, Monika: Vom Risiko zum Nichtwissen: Wie Wissensgesellschaften Spitzentechnologien(Nanotechnologie) lenken. Human Technology Center, RWTH Aachen, Germany, 7 July 2016.

Kurath, Monika: Ästhetische Wissenskulturen: Zur wissenssoziologischen Analyse der Architektur. Study Group Sociology of Architecture, German Society for Sociology, Section for Urban and Regional Sociology. TU Berlin, Germany, 4-5 March 2016.

Kurath, Monika: Constructing the ‘Urban Citizen’:Participation and Democracy in Urban Design. STS talk, Department of Science and Technology Studies, University of Vienna, Austria, 5 October 2015.

Kurath, Monika: Urban Design and Democracy: Comparing Mediations and Citizen Engagement in Urban Planning. International workshop, Urban STS: Assembling new perspectives. European University Saint-Petersburg, Russia, 18-19 September 2015.

Kurath, Monika: SmartCity: Vom wandernden Konzept zum leeren Signifikanten? MCTS-Incubator Von smarten Technologien zum städtischen Raum: Zur kooperativen Reflexion & Gestaltung intelligenter Städte. MCTS, TU Munich, Germany, 6 July 2015.

Gisler, Priska & Kurath, Monika: Reconfigurationof the Disciplinary Understanding in Architecture, Design and the Fine Arts.Colloqueinternational Transformations desdisciplines académiques: entre innovation et résistance. University of Lausane, Switzerland, 14 November 2013.Kurath, Monika: NanotechnologyGovernance Compared. International Workshop NanotechnologyGovernance: Accountability and Democracy in a New Mode of Regulation.University of Vienna, Austriy, 16-17 June 2009.

Kurath, Monika: Regulating Scienceand Technology: Biotechnology, Chemicals and Nanomaterials. Center forInternational Studies. MIT, Cambridge MA, USA, 13 May 2008.

Kurath, Monika: Nanomaterial Regulation in Europe and the U.S. Nanotechnology and Society Research Group,School of Social Science, Urban Affairs and Public Policy, Northeastern University, Boston, MA, USA, 3 April 2008.

Kurath, Monika: Governing at the Nanoscale- A Comparative Analysis of Risk Concepts and their Establishment within Environmental Politics in Different Countries. Division of ScienceTechnology Health and Policy Studies Colloquium, Department of Business, Public Administration and Technology, University of Twente, the Netherlands, 11 October 2006.

Kurath, Monika: Die Mexiko-Mais Kontroverse als Fallbeispiel zum University-Industrial-Complex. Introtuction to Sociology II. Science and Technology as Institutions of Modern Societies. Chair for sociology, ETH Zurich, Switzerland, 5 May 2004.

Kurath, Monika: Science in theDebates on Biotechnology and Molecular Biology. STS-Colloquium Biotechnolgy- and Biomedical Politics, anInternational Comparison. Department of Political Science, University ofZurich, Switzerland, 8 May 2003.

Kurath, Monika: Social Context ofBiotechnology in Europe. In ColloquiumSocial Implications of Technology. Graduate program Technology and Society, UC Berkeley, CA, USA, 5 December 2001.

Conference contributions

Kurath, Monika: Introduction: STS and Planning. European Association for the Study of Science and Technology (EASST 2016) ‘Science and Technology by Other Means – Exploring Collectives, Spaces and Futures’, Barcelona, Spain, 31 August-3 September 2016.

Kurath, Monika & Hipp, Anna: Disziplinäre Identitätsfindung in der Architektur: Zur soziologischenAnalyse architektonischer Wissenskulturen’. Spring conference German Society for Sociology,Section Science and Technology Studies. TU Munich, Germany, 11-12 May 2016.

Kurath, Monika: Engaging Citizens - Transformingthe Urban. Congress of the Swiss Sociological Association, University ofLausanne, Switzerland, 3-5 June 2015.

Bippus, Elke; Gisler, Priska & Kurath, Monika: Introduction: When Size Doesn’t Matter - Fabricating Data in AestheticPractices. Swiss STS Meeting ‘Collecting,Organizing, Trading Big Data’, University of Lausanne, Switzerland, 20 February2014.

Kurath, Monika; Ruegg, Jean & Strebel, Ignaz: Introduction: An STS Perspective on the City. Swiss STS Meeting Collecting, Organizing, Trading Big Data, University of Lausanne, Switzerland, 20 February 2014.

Kurath, Monika: Introduction: Persistente Bildpraktiken imZeitalter der Modellierung EIKONES Conference ‚Bildlichkeit im Zeitalter der Modellierung. Operative Artefakte inEntwurfsprozessen der Architektur und des Ingenieurwesens‘ University of Basel, Switzerland 15-17May 2013.

Gisler, Priska & Kurath, Monika: STS in Architektur und Kunst: Theorien der Wissenschafts- undTechniksoziologie in der Erforschung ästhetischer Praktiken. Annual conference of the GermanSociety for Science and Technology Studies, TU Berlin, Germany, 16-17 November2012.

Kurath, Monika: Assembling Vancouver’s Southeastand Zurich’s North - Ideas of Urban Identity and Sustainability in IndustrialArea Conversions. European Association for the Study of Science andTechnology (4S/EASST 2012) Design andDisplacement – Social Studies of Science and Technology, Copenhagen,Denmark, 17-20 October 2012.

Gisler, Priska & Kurath, Monika: Aesthetic Practices and Epistemic Culturesin Architecture, Design and the Fine Arts. Internationalworkshop Apples and Oranges - Practising Comparison,Goldsmiths, University of London, UK, 13-14 September 2012.

Kurath, Monika: Academizing Architects: Design asa Research Practice. Internationalworkshop: The Making of Architects / Architecturein the Making, StudyGroup Sociology of Architecture, German Society for Sociology, Section forUrban and Regional Sociology:, TechnicalUniversity Darmstadt, Germany, 2-3 February 2012.

Kurath, Monika: Nanotechnology Regulationin Switzerland – An STS Scholar’s Perspective. International conference: Transatlantic Regulatory Co-Operation - Securingthe Promise of Nanotechnologies, Chatham House, London, UK, 10-11 September2009.

Kurath, Monika: Nanotechnologie:Demokratisierung der Technologiepolitik oder Rationalisierungsstrategie?‘ Springconference Governance of Future Technologies,Study Group Politics and Technology, German Association for Political Science,Technical University Berlin, Germany, 22-23 May 2009.

Kurath, Monika: Cultures in theRegulation of Science and Technology: An Interdisciplinary View on AgriculturalBiotechnology and Nanomaterials in Europe and the US.Transdisciplinarynetwork conference: Problem Framing in Inter-and Transdisciplinary Research. Collegium Helveticum, Zurich,Switzerland, 27-28 November 2008.

Kurath, Monika: RegulatingNanomaterials in Europe and the US. Research workshop STS Goes Nano. Sociology Department,University of Luzern, Switzerland, 10 November 2008.

Kurath, Monika: Cultures in theRegulation of Science and Technology: The Case of Nanomaterial Regulation in Europe and the US. EuropeanAssociation for the Study of Science and Technology (4S/EASST 2008) Acting with Science, Technology and Medicine.Rotterdam, the Netherlands, 20-23 August 2008.

Kurath, Monika: Cultures in theEnvironmental Regulation of Nanomaterials in the USA: Replicating AgriculturalBiotechnology?’ Workshop: EmergingTechnologies and Regulatory Cultures. Program on Science, Technology& Society, Harvard Kennedy School, Cambridge MA, USA, 18 April 2008.

Kurath, Monika: Negotiating Nano:Strategies, Boundaries and Transformations in the Assessment of Risks andDisciplinary Identities. STS Fellow’s Meeting, Program on Science,Technology & Society, Harvard Kennedy School, Harvard University, USA, 6November 2007.

Kurath, Monika: Fragile Identitiesin Nanosciences and Nanotechnology. Conference: Deliberating Future Technologies: Identity, Ethics and Governanceof Nanotechnology. Program for Science Studies, University of Basel,Switzerland, 3 May 2007.

Kaiser, Mario & Kurath, Monika: IdentityWork in Nanotechnology. Workshop Elementeder Wissensproduktion: Medialitäten von Visionen, Narrativen und Bildern der Nanotechnologie,Institute for Sociology, Tecnical University Darmstadt, Germany, 10 November 2006.

Kurath, Monika: Nano VisionsShaping Disciplinary Identities. European Association for the Study of Science and Technology (4S/EASST2006) Reviewing Humanness: Bodies,Technologies and Spaces. Lausanne,Switzerland, 23-26 August, 2006.

Kurath, Monika: Technikkommunikation:Von der Gentechnik zu den Nanowissenschaften. Joint conference of the German Society for History of Technology and German Society for Science and Technology Studies: Technik und Öffentlichkeit. Erwartungshorizonte und Kommunikationsstrukturen im historischen Wandel. Technical University, Berlin, 26-28 May 2006.

Kurath, Monika: Disziplinäre Identitätsbildung in kontroverserSpitzenforschung: Toxikologie als Nanowissenschaft? Workshop: Medien der Wissen(schaft)skommunikation:Erprobungen analytischer Konzepte am Fall ‚Nanotechnologie. Institute forSociology, Technical University Darmstadt, Germany, 4 November 2005.

Kurath, Monika: The ‘University-IndustrialComplex’ and its Consequences for Academic Knowledge Production and Educationin Life Sciences. Conference: Towardsa multiversity? Universities between national traditions and global trends inhigher education. Institute for Science and Technology Studies,University of Bielefeld, Germany, 12 November 2004.

Kurath, Monika: Concepts of Riskin the Discourse on Biotechnology: A Historical Analysis of the InstitutionalNarrative. EuropeanAssociation for the Study of Science and Technology (4S/EASST 2006): Public Proofs: Science, Technology andDemocracy (4S/EASST 2004). École des Mines, Paris, France, 25-28 August 2004.

Kurath, Monika: The Cunning ofScience: Hopes, Promises and Failure in Gene Therapy. Ittingen Summerschool: The cunning of science: Contents and discontents. Kartause Ittingen, Warth, Switzerland 24-31 July 2004.

Kurath, Monika: Life Sciences:Academic Knowledge Production Between Scientific Hype, Commercial Interests and Social Controversy. STS-Spring School and Conference: Sites of Knowledge Production. Programfor Science Studies, University of Basel, Switzerland, 12 March 2004.

Kurath, Monika: Asilomar and theEstablishment of a Specific Risk-Narrative. STS-Colloquium: Looking Back - Looking forward - (Un-) intendedconsequences? Collegium Helveticum, ETH Zurich, Switzerland, 20 January2004.

Kurath, Monika: Neoliberal Developments in Science and Technology: Academic Knowledge Production in theField of Biotechnology. XII. Congress of the Swiss Society for Sociology: Triumph and Misery of Neoliberalism. Universityof Zurich, Switzerland, 1-3 October 2003.

Kurath, Monika: Asilomar and theongoing debates on biotechnology in Europe and in the U.S. West Coast HSS,UC San Francisco, CA, USA, 12 April 2002.

Kurath, Monika: Debates on Biotechnologyin Switzerland and the U.S. – Stakeholders Involved and Issues Discussed.Colloquium, Office for History of Science and Technology, UC Berkeley, CA, USA,5 April 2002.

Kurath, Monika: Values,Dispositions and Judgements: Researchers in the Social Discourse on Molecular Biology. STS-Summerschool Knowledge in PluralContext, University of Lausanne, Switzerland, 11-13 September 2001.  

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