Alexandra Hofmänner conducts research and teaches in the interdisciplinary field of Science and Technology Studies (STS).

Her work focuses on pressing questions of our time: How do science and technology function in everyday practice, and how do they interact with society? Who decides which knowledge is produced and accepted? How does knowledge circulate? How does knowledge spread, and when does it affect public life and policy? These questions highlight the sociopolitical shaping of science and technology in times of change, when access to reliable knowledge is crucial for democratic participation and for addressing collective challenges.

After completing her studies in the natural sciences and earning her PhD at ETH Zurich, Alexandra Hofmänner spent several years implementing research projects in South Africa. She has carried out studies for Swiss scientific institutions, federal offices, and foundations, and has served on various commissions. From 2023 to 2025, she served as Visiting Professor at RWTH Aachen University and from 2022 to 2025 as Co-President of the Swiss Association for Science and Technology Studies (STS-CH).

In her recent essay, “Die Welt von Morgen – in der Schweiz ohne Wissenschaftspolitik?”, she examines the planned dissolution of the Swiss Science Council.

Alongside her academic work, she coordinates the project “Wissenschaft Mittendrin”, which promotes new forms of interaction between academia, politics, business, and society in support of a vibrant democracy.