Assoc.-Prof. Dr. Maximilian Fochler

Deputy Head of Department
Vice Director of the Studies Programme Sociology

Tel: +43-1-4277-49613

eMail: maximilian.fochler@univie.ac.at

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Biography

Maximilian Fochler is associate professor and deputy head of the Department of Science and Technology Studies. His main research area is science and knowledge cultures. His recent research work focuses on forms of knowledge production at the interface of science and other societal domains (such as the economy), as well as on the impact of new forms of governing science on academic knowledge production.

From 2011 to 2014, his APART-project “Living and working in the hothouses of innovation” studied how people live, work and produce knowledge in hybrid spaces at the interfaces of academia and business, such as for example biotech startup companies. Focussing on the life sciences in the Vienna region, Max Fochler was particularly interested how the specifics of place and local context come to matter in these new contexts of producing knowledge and innovations. In the framework of this project, he worked as a guest researcher at Oslo University and the Berlin Social Science Centre.

The Apart project continued a long standing interest in the changing cultures of living, working and producing knowledge in the life sciences, and in the social and ethical dimension of these changes. During his PostDoc in the project “Living Changes in the Life Sciences”, Max Fochler had the opportunity to study these changes in the academic life sciences in Austria.

During his PhD, he worked on several projects which focussed on the relations between science and society, in the life sciences and beyond. His PhD thesis, entitled „Participating in which kind of governance?“ dealt with citizen perspectives on the concepts of governance and public participation in the life sciences. It has been awarded the “Award of Excellence” for the best Austrian dissertations by the Federal Minister of Research in 2008.

Maximilian Fochler has had the opportunity to contribute to the establishment of the new master programme Science-Technology-Society, for which he is responsible as Deputy Director of Studies from 2014. Together with colleagues, he received the University of Vienna teaching award for the development of a case based learning approach in the basic modules of this program.

Current Research Interests

the shifting cultures and practices of contemporary knowledge production
issues of science and democracy, in particular concerning the governance of innovation
the relations between techno-sciences and their publics

Publications

Fochler, M., Burri, R., Hagendijk, R., Winickoff, D., Sang-Hyun, K., & Jasanoff, S. (2008). SDN Meeting Report 2008. Unknown Journal.

Felt, U., & Fochler, M. (2008). The bottom-up meanings of the concept of public participation in science and technology. Science and Public Policy, 35(7), 489-499.

Felt, U., Fochler, M., Mager, A., & Winkler, P. (2008). Visions and versions of governing biomedicine: Narratives on power structures, decision-making and public participation in the field of biomedical technologies in the Austrian context. Social Studies of Science, 38(2), 233-257.

Fochler, M. (Author). (2008). What's the social and ethical responsibility of basic science? Reflections from a debate at the 2008 Euroscience Open Forum. Web publication http://www.fondazionebassetti.org/en/focus/2008/10/whats_the_social_and_ethical_r.html

Fochler, M., Felt, U., Schicktanz, S., Amelang, K., Anastasiadou, V. C., Beck, S., Chavot, P., Constantinou, C., Shickle, D., Düwell, M., Masseran, A., Putnina, A., Quinche, F., Schweda, M., & DenDikken, A. (2007). Biomedicine as a Socio-cultural and Ethical Challenge: Final Points to Consider and Recommendations for European and National Policy Makers and European Research. Unknown publisher.

Fochler, M., & Felt, U. (2007). Challenges of Biomedicine. Final Management Report. Unknown publisher.

Fochler, M., & Felt, U. (2007). Challenges of Biomedicine. Publishable Final Activity Report. Unknown publisher.

Winkler, P., Fochler, M., & Felt, U. (2007). Challenges of Biomedicine. 3rd year Acitivity Report. Unknown publisher.

Winkler, P., Fochler, M., & Felt, U. (2007). Challenges of Biomedicine. 3rd year Management Report. Unknown publisher.

Strassnig, M., Müller, A., Fochler, M., & Felt, U. (2007). Let's talk about GOLD! Analysing the interactions between genome research(ers) and the public as a learning process: Final Project Report. Unpublished. Unknown publisher.

Müller, A., Fochler, M., & Felt, U. (2007). Public consultation and foresight initiatives in Austria: Late start and hesitant implementation. In U. Felt (Ed.), Optimizing Public Understanding of Science and Technology, Final Report

Winkler, P., Fochler, M., & Felt, U. (2006). Between "free choice" and "pre-determined options" - A comparative analysis of the co-configuration of understandings of technoscience, techno-political culture and individual agency in focus groups on organ transplantation and genetic testing (Austria, France and the Netherlands) - Article Draft, December 2006. Unknown publisher.

Winkler, P., Fochler, M., & Felt, U. (2006). Challenges of Biomedicine - Local Report Austria: Analysis of the National Focus Group Data of the CoB Project. Unknown publisher.

Winkler, P., Fochler, M., & Felt, U. (2006). Public Understanding of Science, Citizens' Participation and Governance - Input paper on Work Package 6 of the CoB Project. Unknown publisher.

Felt, U., Fochler, M., & Müller, A. (2006). Sozial robuste Wissenspolitik? Analyse partizipativ orientierter Interaktionen zwischen Wissenschaft, Politik und Öffentlichkeit im österreichischen Kontext. Österreichische Zeitschrift für Soziologie, Sonderband, 103-130.

Müller, A., & Fochler, M. (2006). Vom Defizit zum Dialog? Zum Verhältnis von Wissenschaft und Öffentlichkeit in der europäischen und österreichischen Forschungspolitik. ITA manuscript, ITA-06-04. http://epub.oeaw.ac.at/ita/ita-manuscript/ita_06_04.pdf

Felt, U., Winkler, P., & Fochler, M. (2006). 2nd Year's Periodic Activity Report of the CoB Project. Unknown publisher.

Fochler, M., & Winkler, P. (2006). 2nd Year's Periodic Management Report of the CoB Project. Unknown publisher.

Felt, U., Fochler, M., & Strassnig, M. (2003). Evaluierung des "Diskurstag Gendiagnostik": Analyse der dialogischen Wechselwirkung zwischen Wissenschaft und verschiedenen Öffentlichkeiten. Unknown publisher. http://www.fteval.at/files/evstudien/Gendiagnostik_2002.pdf