Chair of Environmental Sociology and Technology Assessment  , Germany

Ortwin Renn serves as full professor and Chair of Environmental Sociology and Technology Assessment at Stuttgart University (Germany). He directs the Interdisciplinary Research Unit for Risk Governance and Sustainable Technology Development (ZIRN) at Stuttgart University and the non-profit company DIALOGIK, a research institute for the investigation of communication and participation processes in environmental policy making. Since 2006 Renn has been elected Deputy Dean of the Economics- and Social Science Department. He also serves as Adjunct Professor for “Integrated Risk Analysis” at Stavanger University (Norway) and as Contract Professor at the Harbin Institute of Technology and Beijing Normal University.
Ortwin Renn has a doctoral degree in sociology and social psychology from the University of Cologne. His career included teaching and research positions at the Juelich Nuclear Research Center, Clark University (Worcester, USA), the Swiss Institute of Technology (Zuerich) and the Center of Technology Assessment (Stuttgart). His honours include an honorary doctorate from the Swiss Institute of Technology (ETH Zurich) and the “Distinguished Achievement Award” of the Society for Risk Analysis (SRA). Among his many political advisory activities the chairmanship of the State Commission for Sustainable Development (German State of Baden-Württemberg) is most prominent. Renn is primarily interested in risk governance, political participation and technology assessment. His has published more than 30 books and 250 articles, most prominently the monograph “Risk Governance” (Earthscan: London 2008).