Carl Walter Matthias Kaiser
- E-mailMatthias.Kaiser@uib.no
- Phone+4791733928
- Visitor AddressParkveien 95007 Bergen
- Postal AddressPostboks 78055020 Bergen
Matthias Kaiser is Professor Emeritus at the Centre for the Study of the Sciences and Humanities (SVT) at the University of Bergen, and Prof. II at the NTNU in Trondheim, having studied at the universities of Munich, Oslo, Stanford and Frankfurt. His areas of expertise include: philosophy of science (Dr.phil.), ethics of science, food ethics, technology assessment and science-for-policy. He is an Affiliated Fellow at the Koi Tū Centre for Informed Futures at the University of Auckland.
Media/presentations
Hva gjør et rykte om kvikksølv i norsk fisk med sjømatnasjonen? Op-ed in Norwegian weekly Morgenbladet with professor Anders Goksøyr, 15.09.2022 (behind pay-wall, in Norwegian)
EAT-LANCET 2.0 Commission Revises Guidance for Healthy, Diverse Diets, and Sustainable Food Systems. Interview in Foodtank.com, September 2022.
Opening key note What Does Ethics Mean in Small-Scale Fisheries?" during TARGET event Small Scale Fisheries and Ethics International Seminar, co-organized by FAO, EurSafe and Friedrich Ebert-Stiftung, Istanbul 27 May 2022.
Vurderer å starte #pleasedontstealmywork-kampanje i Norge - Interview in Khrono 08.05.2022 (in Norwegian)
Kritikk fra riksrevisjonen: Gjør ikke nok for å sikre god forskningsetikk - quote in Khrono (independent newspaper for higher education and research), 09.11.2021 (in Norwegian)
Hva hvis alt går galt? Op-ed, Norwegian daily Bergens Tidende, with Kjell Jørgen Hole og Anders Goksøyr, 08.06.2016
Podcast (in Norwegian):
De nasjonale forskningsetiske komiteene: Kan vi stole på forskning? 23 October 2020
De nasjonale forskningsetiske komiteene: Trenger vi forskningsetiske komiteer? 13 October 2020
- (2022). Questionable Research Practices and Misconduct Among Norwegian Researchers. Science and Engineering Ethics. 31 pages.
- (2021). Towards Post-Pandemic Sustainable and Ethical Food Systems. Food Ethics. 19 pages.
- (2021). Should policy makers trust composite indices? A commentary on the pitfalls of inappropriate indices for policy formation. Health Research Policy and Systems. 1-11.
- (2021). Model s and Numbers: Representing the World or Imposing Order? Perspectives on Science. 525-548.
- (2020). The technique is never neutral. How methodological choices condition the generation of narratives for sustainability. Environmental Science and Policy. 87-98.
- (2019). Value- And ecosystem-based management approach- And Pacific herring fishery conflict. Marine Ecology Progress Series. 341-364.
- (2018). Working with research integrity—Guidance for research performing organisations: The Bonn PRINTEGER Statement. Science and Engineering Ethics. 1-12.
- (2018). Co-producing "post-normal" climate knowledge with communities in northeast Bangladesh. Weather, Climate, and Society. 259-268.
- (2017). Trust in Food and Trust in Science. Food Ethics. 93-95.
- (2016). Weaknesses in the ethical framework of aquaculture related standards. Marine Policy. 11-18.
- (2016). Inclusive governance of aquaculture value-chains: Co-producing sustainability standards for Bangladeshi shrimp and prawns. Ocean and Coastal Management. 13-24.
- (2016). Food ethics: a Wide Field in Need of Dialogue. Food Ethics. 1-7.
- (2015). Responsible techno-innovation in aquaculture: Employing ethical engagement to explore attitudes to GM salmon in Northern Europe. Aquaculture. 370-381.
- (2014). The integrity of science - Lost in translation? Baillière's Best Practice & Research : Clinical Gastroenterology. 339-347.
- (2014). Harmful routines? Uncertainty in science and conflicting views on routine petroleum operations in Norway. Marine Policy. 313-320.
- (2012). “Commentary: Looking for conflict and finding none?”. Public Understanding of Science. 188-194.
- (2012). Good ethics or political and cultural censoring in science? ICES Journal of Marine Science. 493-497.
- (2007). Developing the ethical matrix as a decision support framework: GM fish as a case study. Journal of Agricultural and Environmental Ethics. 65-80.
- (2007). Developing the Ethical Delphi. Journal of Agricultural and Environmental Ethics. 53-63.
- (2019). Vurderingskriteriet etikk. Veileder for operasjonalisering av vurderingskriteriet etikk i genteknologiloven. .
- (2019). Veileder for operasjonalisering av vurderingskriteriet etikk i genteknologiloven. .
- (2019). Forskningsintegritet i kontekst: resultater fra en kvalitativ studie. .
- (2019). Diskutabel forskningspraksis: holdninger og handlinger. . .
- (2018). Etikk og integritet i forskning - resultater fra en landsomfattende undersøkelse. .
- (2018). Research Integrity in Norway (RINO).
- (2022). Questionable Research Practices (QRPs) and Perceived Work Environment. .
- (2019). The perceived FFP-QRP hierarchy – results from a large-scale survey among Norwegian researchers .
- (2019). The Murky Waters of QRP - Attitudes and Self-Reported Questionable Research Practices.
- (2022). A Personal Editorial from the Editor-in-Chief: Food Ethics in Times of War. Food Ethics.
- (2006). Ethics and the politics of food: Preprints of the 6th Congress of the European Society for Agricultural and Food Ethics. Wageningen Academic Publishers.
- (2015). Interdisciplinary Research and Trans-disciplinary Validity. 43.
- (2015). Improving Energy Decisions - Towards Better Scientific Policy Advice for a Safe and Secure Future Energy System.
- (2019). Forskningsetikk i Norge: Tid for handling. Forskning.no.
- (2015). Intellectual Practicians. An Exploration of Professionalism among Upper Secondary School Teachers with Icelandic Mother Tongue Teachers as a Contextualized Empirical Case.
- (2019). 4 av 10 seier dei har gjort noko diskutabelt.
- (2018). Forskere mangler opplæring En av tre norske forskere oppgir at de aldri har fått opplæring i forskningsetiske retningslinjer.
- (2018). En av tre norske forskere sier de aldri har fått undervisning i forskningsetikk.
- (2018). 60 prosent av norske forskere har liten eller ingen opplæring i forskningsetikk.
- (2022). Taking value-landscapes seriously. 6 pages.
- (2022). Ethics of Knowledge Production in Times of Environmental Change. 17 pages.
- (2021). What is wrong with the EAT Lancet report? 7 pages.
- (2018). Vitenskapelig kunnskap vokser frem. 26 pages.
- (2017). Franken-food or techno-fix? – Ethical issues of GMOs in Europe. 12 pages.
- (2017). Ethical issues raised by emerging sciences and technologies. 11 pages.
- (2016). Sustainable aquaculture governance: challenges to participatory standard setting. 6 pages.
- (2016). Method in practical ethics: a call for a paradigm change. 6 pages.
- (2015). Preface in Know your food Food ethics and innovation Edition: 1. 2 pages.
- (2015). Ethics of Science and a New Social Contract for Knowledge. 25 pages.
- (2015). Challenges to Evaluating Coastal Management in the Twenty-First Century: Lessons from the Lofoten Archipelago. 20 pages.
- (2015). Aquaculture and the precautionary principle in the New Zealand Supreme Court. 7 pages.
- (2013). Whose sustainability counts? Engaging with debates on the sustainability of Bangladeshi shrimp. 8 pages.
- (2013). Precaution or prudent vigilance as guiding the path to global food security? 7 pages.
- (2013). Mapping the ethical terrain of Chinese aquaculture. 18 pages.
- (2012). Why German consumers need to reconsider their preferences: the ethical argument for aquaculture. 5 pages.
- (2012). The Ethics and Sustainability of Aquaculture.
- (2012). Mapping core values and ethical principles for livelihoods in Asia. 6 pages.
- (2012). Dilemmas for Ethical Guidelines for the Sciences. 8 pages.
- (2022). Sciencists’ Background and Self-Reported Questionable Research Practices. An Exploratory Analysis. .
- (2021). Brokerage at the science–policy interface: from conceptual framework to practical guidance. Humanities & Social Sciences Communications. 1-10.
- (2012). Preface. 17-19.
- (2021). Evaluations and values at the crossroads.
- (2017). Hard of Herring. 112-119. In:
- (2017). Reflections of Canada: Illuminating Our Opportunities and Challenges at 150+ Years. Peter Wall Institute for Advanced Studies.
More information in national current research information system (CRIStin)
Selection of journal publications the last 10 years:
Current (2021) pre-publications:
- Kaiser, M., Chen, A. T. Y., & Gluckman, P. (2020). «Should policy makers trust composite indices? A commentary on the pitfalls of inappropriate indices for policy formation». arXiv preprint arXiv:2008.13637.
Articles in peer-reviewed scientific journals:
- Kaiser, M., Buklijas, T., Gluckman, P. (2021). «Models and numbers: Representing the world or imposing order?». Perspectives on Science, 1-40: Advance Publication. https://doi.org/10.1162/posc_a_00373 © 2021 by The Massachusetts Institute of Technology
- Kaiser, M., Goldson, S., Buklijas, T., Gluckman, P., Allen, K., Bardsley, A., Lam, M.E. (2021). «Towards Post-Pandemic Sustainable and Ethical Food Systems”. Food Ethics, 6:4; https://doi.org/10.1007/s41055-020-00084-3
- Kaiser, M., Chen, A. T. Y., Gluckman, P. (2021). «Should policy makers trust composite indices? A commentary on the pitfalls of inappropriate indices for policy formation». Health Res Policy Sys 19, 40 (2021).
https://doi.org/10.1186/s12961-021-00702-4 - Gluckman, P-D., Bardsley, A., Kaiser, M. (2021). “Brokerage at the science-policy interface: from conceptual framework to practical guidance”. Humanities & Social Sciences Communications, 8:84, p.1-10; https://doi.org/10.1057/s41599-021-00756-3Saltelli, A., Benini, L., Funtowicz, S., Giampietro, M., Kaiser, M., Reinert, E., & van der Sluijs, J. P. (2020). The technique is never neutral. How methodological choices condition the generation of narratives for sustainability. Environmental Science & Policy, 106, 87-98.
- Andorno, R., Baylis, F., Darnovsky, M., Haker, H., Hasson, K., Lowthorp, L., Annas, G.J., Bourgain, C., Drabiak, K., Graumann, S., Grüber, K., Kaiser, M., Kimng, D., Kollek, R., MacKellar, C., Nie, J.-B., Obasogie, O.K., Fang, M.T., Werner-Felmayer, G., Zuscinova, J. (2020), “Geneva Statement on Heritable Human Genome Editing: The Need for Course Correction.”, Trends in Biotechnology (Cell Press Reviews), ISSN: 0167-7799 , 1879-3096; DOI: 10.1016/j.tibtech.2019.12.022
- Lam, M. E., Pitcher, T. J., Surma, S., Scott, J., Kaiser, M., White, A. S., Pakhomov, E.A. & Ward, L. M. (2019). Value-and ecosystem-based management approach: the Pacific herring fishery conflict. Mar Ecol Prog Ser, 617, 341-364.
- Forsberg, E.M., Anthun, F.O., Bailey, S., Birchley, G., Bout, H., Casonato, C., Fuster, G.G., Heinrichs, B., Horbach, S., Jacobsen, I.S., Janssen, J., Kaiser, M., Lerouge, I., van der Meulen, B., de Rijcke, S., Saretzki, T., Sutrop, M., Tazewell, M., Varantola, K., Vie, K.J., Zwart, H., Zöller, M.. (2018), “Working with Research Integrity—Guidance for Research Performing Organisations: The Bonn PRINTEGER Statement”, Science and Engineering Ethics, 24 (4), 1023-1034.
- Bremer, S., Stiller-Reeve, M., Blanchard, A., Mamnun, N., Naznin, Z., & Kaiser, M. (2018). “Co-producing “Post-normal” climate knowledge with communities in Northeast Bangladesh”. Weather, Climate, and Society, 10(2), 259-268. https://journals.ametsoc.org/view/journals/wcas/10/2/wcas-d-17-0033_1.xml & https://doi.org/10.1175/WCAS-D-17-0033.1
- Kaiser, M. & Algers, A. (2017) “Trust in food and Trust in Science”, Food Ethics (2017) 1:93–95; DOI 10.1007/s41055-017-0021-5
- Haugen, A.S., Bremer, S., Kaiser, M. (2017): “Weaknesses in the ethical framework of aquaculture related standards”, Marine Policy Volume 75, January 2017, Pages 11-18. (online October 2016): http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.marpol.2016.10.011
- Kaiser, M. & Algers, A. (2016). “Food ethics: a wide field in need of Dialogue” (Editorial), Food Ethics, vol 1 (1), pp. 1-7.
- Bremer, S., M. M. Haque, A. S. Haugen, and M. Kaiser. (2016). “Inclusive governance of aquaculture value-chains: Co-producing sustainability standards for Bangladeshi shrimp and prawns.” Ocean and Coastal Management, 131:13-24.
- Bremer, S., Millar, K., Wright, N., Kaiser, M. (2015). “Responsible techno-innovation in aquaculture: Employing ethical engagement to explore attitudes to GM salmon in Northern Europe”, Aquaculture, 437, 370 – 381. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.aquaculture.2014.12.031
- Kaiser M, (2014), “The integrity of science – Lost in translation?”, Best Practice & Research Clinical Gastroenterology; Volume 28 , Issue 2 , 339 – 347; http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.bpg.2014.03.003
- Blanchard, A., Hauge, K.H., Andersen, G., Fosså, J.H., Grøsvik,, B.E., Handegard, N.O., Kaiser, M., Meier, S., Olsen, E., Vikebø, F. (2014): “Harmful routines? Uncertainty in science and conflicting views on routine petroleum operations in Norway”, Marine Policy, vol. 43, 313-320.
- Kaiser, M. (2012), “Commentary: Looking for conflict and finding none?”, in Public Understanding of Science, vol 21(2) 188-194. [DOI:10.1177/0963662511434433]
- Ole Torrissen; Kevin Alan Glover; Tore Haug; Ole Arve Misund; Hans Julius Skaug; Matthias Kaiser (2012). “Good ethics or political and cultural censoring in science?” 2012; ICES Journal for Marine Sciences, March 6, 2012; doi: 10.1093/icesjms/fss016
- König, A., Kuiper, H.A., Marvin, H.J.P., Boon, P.E., Busk, L., Cnudde, F., Cope, S., Davies, H.V., Dreyer, M., Frewer, L.J., Kaiser, M., Kleter, G.A., Knudsen, I., Pascal, G., Prandini, A., Renn, O., Smith, M.R., Traill, B.W., Voet, H.v.d., Trijp, H.v., Vos, E., Wentholt, M.T.A. (2010) “The SAFE FOODS framework for improved risk analysis of foods”. Food Control, 21(12), 1566-1587. doi:10.1016/j.foodcont.2010.02.012
Articles in book anthologies and proceedings back to 2010:
- Kaiser, M. (2018), “Vitenskapelig kunnskap vokser frem”, in: Utvalgte filosofiske emner til EXPHIL, Ståle Gundersen, Tarjei Mandt Larsen & Cato Wittusen (eds.), Universitetsforlaget, Oslo. ISBN: 978-82-15-03125-5.
- Kaiser, M. (2018), “Wider der Doppelmoral: ‘Lilyhammer’ – ein Spiegelbild Norwegens?”, in: Ethik in Serie. Eine Festschrift zu Ehren von Uta Müller; Cordula Brand & Simon Meisch (eds.), Tübingen Library Publishing, Tübingen; pp 133-143.
ISBN: 978-3-946552-21-5; ISBN (pdf): 978-3-946552-20-8. - Kaiser, M. (2017), “Franken-food or techno-fix? – Ethical issues with GMOs in Europe”, in: Towards a new regulatory framework for GM crops in the European Union, Leire Escajedo San-Epifanio (ed.), Wageningen Academic Publishers, Wageningen.
- Strand, R. & Kaiser, M. (2017), “Ethical issues raised by emerging sciences and technologies”, in: Convergence of New Emerging Technologies – Ethical Challenges and New Responsibilities, L. Caenazzo, L. Mariani, & R. Pegoraro (eds.), Piccin Nuova Libraria S.p.A.; Padova, Italy 2017.
- Pitcher, T.J., Lam, M.E., Kaiser, M, White, A. (S-J) and Pakhomov, E. (2017) Hard of Herring. Pages 112-119 in Tortell, P., Young, M. & Nemetz, P. (eds) Reflections Of Canada: Illuminating Our Opportunities and Challenges at 150+ years. 309pp. Peter Wall Institute of Advanced Studies, Vancouver, Canada.
- Kaiser, M. (2016), “Method in practical ethics: a call for a paradigm change”, in: I.A.S.Olsson, S.M.Araújo, M.F.Vieira: Food Futures Ethics, Science & Culture; Wageningen Academic Publishers, Wageningen; pp.142-147.
- Bremer, S. & Kaiser,M. (2016), “Sustainable aquaculture governance: challenges to participatory standard setting”, in: I.A.S.Olsson, S.M.Araújo, M.F.Vieira: Food Futures Ethics, Science & Culture; Wageningen Academic Publishers, Wageningen; 133-138.
- Bremer, S., & Blanchard, A., & Kaiser, M. (2015), “Challenges to Evaluating Coastal Management in the Twenty-First Century: Lessons from the Lofoten Archipelago”, in: Baztan, J., Chouinard, O., Jorgensen, B., Tett, P., Vanderlinden, J.P., Vasseur, L. (eds.): Coastal Zones: Solutions for the 21st Century, Elsevier Inc, Amsterdam, pp.: 253 – 272;
ISBN: 978-0-12-802748-6. - Kaiser, M. (2015), “Ethics of Science and a New Social Contract for Knowledge”, in: S. Meisch, J. Lundershausen, L. Bossert, & M. Rockoff (eds.): Ethics of Science in the Research for Sustainable Development, Nomos Verlagsgesellschaft: Baden-Baden; ISBN: 978-3-8487-1835-1; pp: 153-177.
- Kaiser, M. (2015), “Werte, Werturteile, und post-normale Wissenschaft”, in: Regina Ammicht Quinn & Thomas Potthast (Hrsg.): Ethik in den Wissenschaften, Internationales Zentrum für Ethik in den Wissenschaften (IZEW), Eberhard Karls Universität Tübingen, ISBN 978-3-935933-1-7; pp: 367-374.
- Kaiser, M. (2015), “Aquaculture and the precautionary principle in the New Zealand Supreme Court” in: D.E.Dumitras, I.M.Jitea, S.Aerts (eds.), Know your food - Food ethics and innovation, Wageningen Academic Publishers: Wageningen.
- Kaiser, M. (2015), “Preface”. in: D.E.Dumitras, I.M.Jitea, S.Aerts (eds.), Know your food - Food ethics and innovation, Wageningen Academic Publishers: Wageningen.
- Strand, R. & Kaiser, M. (2015). Ethical issues raised by emerging sciences and technologies, in Council of Europe, Committee on Bioethics, Strasbourg.
- Kaiser, M. (2014), entries on: “Norwegian perspectives” and “International Council for Science”, in: Encyclopedia on Ethics, Science, Technology and Engineering, 2nd edition, 4 volumes, Editor: Mitcham, Carl, Detroit: Macmillan Reference USA.
- Bremer, S., Johansen, J., Øyen, S., Kaiser, M., Haugen, A.S. (2014), “Mapping the ethical terrain of Chinese aquaculture”, in: C. Brautaset & C.M. Dent (eds.), The Great Diversity: Trajectories of Asian Development, Wageningen Academic Publishers, Wageningen.
- Kaiser, M. (2013), “Ciencia y politica: una pareja sin romance”, in: Carlos López Beltrán & Ambrosio Velasco Gómez (eds.), Aproximaciones a la filosofia politica de la ciencia, Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México, Mexico.
- Kaiser, M. (2013), “Precaution or prudent vigilance as guiding the path to global food security?”, in: H. Röcklinsberg & P. Sandin (eds.), The ethics of consumption: The citizen, the market and the law, Wageningen Academic Publishers: Wageningen.
- Bremer, S., Haugen, A.S. & Kaiser,M. (2013), “Whose sustainability counts? Engaging with debates on the sustainability of Bangladeshi shrimp”, in: H. Röcklinsberg & P. Sandin (eds.), The ethics of consumption: The citizen, the market and the law, Wageningen Academic Publishers: Wageningen.
- Kaiser, M. (2012), “Why German consumers need to reconsider their preferences: the ethical argument for aquaculture”, in: T. Potthast & S. Meisch, Climate change and sustainable development - Ethical perspectives on land use and food production. Wageningen Academic Publishers: Wageningen. pp. 321-325.
- Kaiser, M. & Potthast, T. (2012), “Preface”, in: T. Potthast & S. Meisch, Climate change and sustainable development - Ethical perspectives on land use and food production. Wageningen Academic Publishers: Wageningen. pp. 17-19.
- Bremer, S, Haugen, A.S., & Kaiser, M. (2012), “Mapping core values and ethical principles for livelihoods in Asia, in: T. Potthast & S. Meisch, Climate change and sustainable development - Ethical perspectives on land use and food production. Wageningen Academic Publishers: Wageningen. pp. 419-424.
- Kaiser, M. (2012), “Dilemmas for Ethical Guidelines for the Sciences”, in: Promoting Research Integrity in a Global Environment, Tony Mayer & Nicholas Steneck (eds.); World Scientific Publishing Co, Singapore.
- Kaiser, M. (2012), “The ethics and sustainability of aquaculture”, in: The Philosophy of Food, Arthur Kaplan (ed.), University of California Press: Berkeley, Los Angeles, London.
- M. Kaiser (2010). “Designing ethical strategies for global food security”, in: C.M.Romeo Casabona & L.E.San Epifanio & A. E. Cirion (eds.), Global Food Security: Ethical and Legal Challenges, Wageningen Academic Publishers, Wageningen.
- A.S. Haugen, M. Kaiser, V. Almaas (2010), „Certification and ethical standards in aquaculture“,in: C.M.Romeo Casabona & L.E.San Epifanio & A. E. Cirion (eds.), Global Food Security: Ethical and Legal Challenges, Wageningen Academic Publishers, Wageningen.
- V. Almaas & M. Kaiser (2010), “Governance addressing societal values”, in: C.M.Romeo Casabona & L.E.San Epifanio & A. E. Cirion (eds.), Global Food Security: Ethical and Legal Challenges, Wageningen Academic Publishers, Wageningen.
- A. Algers, M. Kaiser, C. Kallum, H.Loor, K. Wahlgreen & S. Welin (2010), „Food ethics dilemma: an open learning resource for teaching ethics“,in: C.M.Romeo Casabona & L.E.San Epifanio & A. E. Cirion (eds.), Global Food Security: Ethical and Legal Challenges, Wageningen Academic Publishers, Wageningen.
- M. Kaiser & C.: Romeo-Casabona (2010), “Preface”, in: C.M.Romeo Casabona & L.E.San Epifanio & A. E. Cirion (eds.), Global Food Security: Ethical and Legal Challenges, Wageningen Academic Publishers, Wageningen.
Current projects
2020 – 2025 The AFINO Research Centre (“Ansvarlig forskning og innovasjon i Norge»), coordinated by NTNU, member of the core group and leader of WP8
2020 – 2023 The ReMoDigital Project (“Resilienz-Monitoring für die Digitalisierung der Energiewende” ), coordinated by IQIB (Institut für qualifizierende Innovationsforschung und -beratung); member of the working group
2019 – 2024 #LoVeSeSDG - Localizing and developing SDG-thinking for local communities; coordinated by D.Dankel, Bio, UiB; team member; (https://sdg.w.uib.no/ )
2020 – 2024 Managing Ethical Norwegian Seascapes (MENSA), coordinated by Mimi E.Lam, UiB, funded by Norwegian Research Council; member of network collaborators
Completed projects
2020 - 2022 Cultured meat - Nordic take, coordinated by Aarhus University; team member for UiB
2019 – 2022 RECIPES (“Reconciling Science, Innovation and Precaution through Engagement with Stakeholders”), EU project, coordinated by Maastricht University; team member of the Bergen consortium
Project leadership during the past 10 years (excluding partner in EU projects):
PI and coordinator: “Research integrity in Norway” (RINO), collaboration between UiB, HVL, og FEK, 2016-2019.
PI and coordinator: “Transforming Climate Knowledge with and for Society” (TRACKS), NFR. (This project was rated #1 of 132 proposals.)
Coordinator: “The Landscape and Isobars of European Values in Relation to Science and New Technology”
(Value Isobars), EU FP7, 2009 – 2011.
Coordinator: “Nordic Network for agriculture and food ethics”, NordForsk, 2007 – 2010.
Leader of WP8: “Sustainable Ethical Aquaculture Trade” (SEAT), EU FP7, 2009 – 2013.
Chair: “Philosophy of science for use”, granted from the European Science Foundation, (7-ESF-LiU-007).
Matthias was born in Germany, in Leipzig, which at the time was still under a communist regime. Luckily his parents escaped to West Germany in the nick of time before the Berlin Wall. There he was a refugee! Even though just starting school, this experience of a very different culture and regime turned him into a sceptic of all presumed authorities, in other words, he became a philosopher at a young age.
After high school - which was mainly about the natural sciences and mathematics- he wanted to study something different, so he studied philosophy. But already during the second term he found out that he cannot do philosophy without a good grasp of logic, and that brought him to study mathematics. For his thesis he wanted to combine philosophy and logic, so he went to Norway where he had some good professors. Now he was also an immigrant! His interests turned to the sciences, both fascinated by their theories, and at the same time puzzled by the misuse of science in politics. He started to ask questions about ethics in science which made him unpopular in some quarters.
Now there is no trace of logic left in him, he is all about ambiguity and uncertainty, in science as in life. Furthermore, he is deeply puzzled about values, wondering about his own, but mostly about those of other people, the academic lot in particular. His life has turned post-normal, and he thinks this is a good basis for work in the science-policy interface.
Else he has written a thriller in German (“Die Risikomanager”) and a collection of autobiographical short-stories, including some cooking recipes cooking recipes (“Talk, Eat, and See the World”), he likes to cook for others, and he plays electric blues bass. Politically he is a hard-core liberal European to the bone!
