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Ruth Müller and Sebastian Pfotenhauer appointed as new MCTS directors

On Nov 1st, 2020, TUM President Thomas Hofmann appointed Ruth Müller and Sebastian Pfotenhauer as the new co-directors of the Munich Center for Technology in Society (MCTS). Ruth Müller is Associate Professor for Science and Technology Policy at the MCTS, the School of Life Sciences and the School of Management with a research focus on scientific work practices and biomedicine and health. Sebastian Pfotenhauer is Carl von Linde Associate Professor for Innovation Research, working on regional innovation cultures and responsible innovation. Both scholars have been core members of the MCTS faculty from the beginning and have helped shape the center in its present form through their engagement in, among other things, the two MCTS Master’s programs MCTS and RESET.

The appointment happens at a crucial time for MCTS. The TUM leadership has recently announced the formation of a new School of Social Sciences to be launched in fall 2021. MCTS will join the new school as a Department for Science and Technology Studies, which will offer new institutional opportunities. “We are honored and very enthusiastic about this new role, especially during this critical phase. We are looking forward to expanding the footprint of MCTS at TUM and in Germany, all in the spirit of dialogue, intellectual ambition, and strong sense of community at MCTS,” said Pfotenhauer.

The twin appointment follows the departure of two long-term MCTS faculty members — MCTS Director Sabine Maasen and Head of the MCTS Digital Media Lab Jan Passoth. “We owe a profound debt to these dear colleagues, who have worked tirelessly and with great personal investment to make this MCTS a widely visible success at TUM and beyond. We are looking forward to continuing our intellectual exchange with them as part of the growing MCTS community in Germany”, said Müller.

The inauguration took place via video conference, reflecting the continuing restrictions imposed by the Covid pandemic.

 

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