FRANKFURT. By the end of this year, five new scholars will take up professorships at Goethe University’s Center for Critical Computational Studies, strengthening its expertise in ecology, socioeconomics, digital studies, educational sciences, and legal philosophy. Welcoming the appointments, the Center’s management says: “We are very much looking forward to welcoming these outstanding researchers. As one of Goethe University’s comparatively young centers, C3S serves as an inter- and transdisciplinary platform bringing together a wide range of research fields. The arrival of our new colleagues gives us fresh momentum that will further deepen our profile in the field of Critical Computational Studies.”
Mechanistic and Process-Oriented Modeling of Biodiversity and Ecosystems – Prof. Dr. Oskar Hagen
Goethe University Frankfurt and the Senckenberg Biodiversity and Climate Research Centre (SBiK-F) are pleased to welcome Oskar Hagen as Professor of Mechanistic and Process-Oriented Modeling of Biodiversity and Ecosystems at C3S. As an internationally connected biodiversity scientist and eco-evolutionary modeler, Hagen brings a dynamic vision that combines rigorous computation with a deep fascination for the complexity of life. At the core of his research lies a seemingly simple question: How does biodiversity emerge, persist, and decline across time and space? To address this, he founded the Computational Integrative Biodiversity (CIB) group, which develops innovative process-based frameworks to understand and predict biodiversity dynamics under historical and future environmental pressures. Hagen’s work integrates eco-evolutionary simulations with climatological, geological, and historical data, combining theory with high-performance computing to study phenomena ranging from species diversification and extinction to ecosystem resilience and biogeographical patterns.
Modeling the Socioeconomic Drivers and Impacts of Climate Change with a Focus on Environmental Economics – Prof. Dr. Manuel Linsenmeier
Manuel Linsenmeier’s research focuses on the socioeconomic impacts of climate change and climate adaptation in the context of sustainable development. Using statistical methods, economic models, and interdisciplinary datasets, he investigates how societies can remain resilient and sustainable in times of climate change. His research pays particular attention to global interdependencies and socioeconomic inequalities. Linsenmeier is especially committed to transferring scientific insights into climate adaptation policy and practice. He has contributed to national climate risk analyses in Germany and the UK and has advised the World Bank. His research collaborations include Columbia University, Princeton University, and the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research.
Critical Data and Surveillance Studies – Prof. Dr. Azadeh Akbari
Azadeh Akbari has been appointed Professor of Critical Data and Surveillance Studies at C3S. Her research interests include the geopolitics of digital transformation, digital authoritarianism, data justice, as well as Information and Communications Technology (ICT) for development. She serves as Director of the Surveillance Studies Network and is the founder and director of the Surveillance in the Majority World Research Network. Akbari is co-editor of the journals
Surveillance & Society and
Information Technology for Development. Previously, she was a Fellow in the EU Marie Skłodowska-Curie Global Actions Program with a project on authoritarian smart cities. She is a frequent contributor to international media and advises policymakers and civil society on issues of surveillance and digital repression.
Educational Theories and Practices of Critical Computational Literacy (CCL) – Prof. Dr. Dan Verständig
Starting in October 2025, Dan Verständig will join C3S as Professor of Educational Theories and Practices of Critical Computational Literacy. His research explores learning and educational processes in the digital age, with a focus on social inequality, civic participation, as well as creative and critical approaches to digital technologies aimed at fostering coding literacy and data literacy. He also employs experimental formats such as interactive installations, data-based art projects, and playful approaches to make digital infrastructures visible and to reflect on their societal significance. Verständig’s teaching combines educational, cultural, and media studies perspectives with computer science, emphasizing interdisciplinary and critical-creative engagement with digital technologies. Alongside his academic work, he has many years of professional experience as a web and backend developer.
Normative Constitution of the Computational – Prof. Dr. Sabine Müller-Mall
Legal philosopher Sabine Müller-Mall studies fundamental questions of law and constitution like: What does it mean to make a legal judgment? How do legal norms come into being? How can constitutions stabilize and transform orders, and how do they respond to fundamental change? At the intersection of public law, philosophy, and political theory, a key theme of her research is the widespread use of computational techniques in society; their use and adoption significantly reshapes the foundations of law and constitution, affecting assumptions, concepts, and practices. Müller-Mall investigates these impacts of the computational on law and constitution as fundamental legal questions. As such, she examines the conditions under which normativity arises and evolves under media-technological conditions, how legal decision-making is changing in relation to computational decision systems, and the political dimensions of computational technologies.
About the
Center for Critical Computational Studies (C3S) at Goethe University Frankfurt
C3S combines two central focus areas in its research profile: first, computational methods are critically examined, further developed methodologically, and assessed ethically. Research teams address topics such as critical data science, ethics of data processing, science and technology studies, as well as philosophical and historical perspectives on computer technologies. A special focus lies on advanced simulation methods and the study of complex predictions in the natural and social sciences, including innovative approaches between classical network analysis and deep learning. Second, C3S employs computational models to better understand planetary transformations, especially in the context of global warming and the biodiversity crisis. This includes analyzing complex interactions between geophysics, ecosystems, and society, as well as investigating and developing critical solutions for so-called tipping points in the Earth system to model interactions between social and ecological change. Through this integrative approach, C3S aims to deliver both methodological innovation and socially relevant insights into the interplay of digitality, democracy, and planetary transformation. In April this year, climate researcher
Prof. Dr. Nico Wunderling was appointed to C3S. His research focuses on the dynamics of interacting tipping points in the Earth system, particularly in the context of global warming.
Further information: https://www.c3s-frankfurt.de/