Dr. habil. Susanne Koch is sociologist of science who conducts research on transformative science and landscape governance in the context of sustainable development from an interdisciplinary perspective. Integrating science studies and environmental governance research, her work focuses on three key topics: (1) knowledge relations and power dynamics in environmental sciences and multi-level landscape governance; (2) science policy interfaces and research collaborations for transformative change; (3) (in-) equality and inclusion in transformative science and socio-ecological transitions.
She currently works as a Principal Investigator at the TUM STS Department and is associated with the TUM Chair of Forest and Environmental Policy. She is also an appointed Research Fellow of the Centre for Research on Evaluation, Science and Technology (CREST) at Stellenbosch University (South Africa), and Research Affiliate of the Global Research Programme on Inequality (GRIP) hosted by the University of Bergen (Norway) and the International Science Council (ISC).
After graduating in journalism and social sciences at the Technical University of Dortmund (Germany) in 2010, she carried out her doctoral studies as research fellow of the DFG-funded project “(Scientific) Experts in Developing Democracies” (PI: Prof. Dr. Peter Weingart) at Bielefeld University (Germany). In 2015, she received her PhD in sociology with distinction; her thesis “The Impact of Foreign Experts on Policymaking in Young Democracies – A Comparative Analysis of South Africa and Tanzania” showed the intricacies of expert advice in the context of development assistance with a focus on the policy fields of health, education and environment.
In her first post-doc position at the TUM Chair of Forest and Environmental Policy (2016-2021, incl. parental leave), Susanne continued to explore the specific conditions of science-policy interaction in environmental fields and countries of the Global South, and developed her research agenda on knowledge inequality/diversity with contributions to on-going discourses on responsible research and epistemic justice. In 2021, she received a postdoc fellowship of the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) to carry out an exploratory study entitled: “What counts in forest science? An exploratory study on valuation processes in the context of forest science conferences” as visiting scholar of the Centre of Science and Technology Studies (CWTS) at Leiden University (The Netherlands).
Since February 2022, Susanne leads the DFG-funded project In-Forest (https://in-forest.research.st/) which examines gender- and geography-related inequalities and their epistemic effects in forest research. Aside from her own position as Principal Investigator (“Eigene Stelle”), the project involves collaboration with partners at the Centre for Research on Evaluation, Science and Technology of Stellenbosch University (Prof. Nelius Boshoff, Co-PI) and Mercator Fellows at CWTS (Leiden University) and the Tanzania Forestry Research Institute.
- In-Forest. A multi-method study of inequality and its epistemic effects in forest research, 01.02.2022-31.01.2026
Scientific journal articles, books and book chapters (peer-reviewed):
- Koch, S., Tetley, C., Strelnyk, O., Sunagawa, S., Boshoff, N., Uisso, A. J., Ngwenya, S. (2025). Reproducing inequality: collaboration habitus and its epistemic implications in African-European research projects on forests. Minerva. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11024-025-09570-6
- Strelnyk, O., Koch, S., Tetley, C., Sunagawa, S., & Uisso, A. J. (2024). Science as a field of struggle: Gendered experiences of African scholars doing forest governance research. Forest Policy and Economics, 169, 103339. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.forpol.2024.103339
- Koch, S., Varga, J. (2024). All that matters are forests and seas? Practising relevance in interdisciplinary environment-focused social science fields. Minerva. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11024-024-09556-w
- Boshoff, N., Ngwenya, S., Koch, S., Dudek, J., Strelnyk, O., Costas, R., Uisso, A.J. (2024): Geographical inequalities in global forest science: A bibliometric perspective. Forest Policy and Economics 165, 103250. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.forpol.2024.103250.
- Tetley, C. and Koch, S. (2024): Narratives of research collaboration for sustainability at the global science-policy interface: A vehicle for inequality or transformation? Environmental Science and Policy (155), 103708. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envsci.2024.103708
- Koch, S. (2024): “The Local Consultant Will Not Be Credible”: How Epistemic Injustice is Experienced and Practised in Development Aid. In: Altanian, M. and Baghramian, M. (Eds): Testimonial Injustice and Trust. Routledge: Abingdon, Oxon; New York, 478–489.
- Koch, S. and Tetley, C. (2023): What ‘counts’ in international forest policy research? A conference ethnography of valuation practice and habitus in an interdisciplinary social science field. Forest Policy and Economics (154), 103034. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.forpol.2023.103034
- Boncourt, T., Koch, S. and Matviichuk, E. (2023): International scientific associations and conferences as agents in the unequal circulation of knowledge. In: Keim, W. et al. (Eds): Routledge Handbook of Academic Knowledge Circulation. Routledge: Abingdon, Oxon; New York, 169-181.
- Koch, S. and Matviichuk, E. (2021): Patterns of inequality in global forest science conferences: An analysis of actors involved in IUFRO World Congresses with a focus on gender and geography. Forest Policy and Economics (129). doi.org/10.1016/j.forpol.2021.102510
- Koch. S. (2020): Epistemische Ungleichheit unter „Entwicklungsexpert*innen“: eine empirische Analyse unter Einbeziehung philosophischer, dekolonialer und postkolonialer Perspektiven. polylog. Zeitschrift für interkulturelles Philosophieren (44).
- Koch, S. (2020): Responsible research, inequality in science and epistemic injustice: an attempt to open up thinking about inclusiveness in the context of RI/RRI. Journal of Responsible Innovation 7 (3), pp. 672-679. doi.org/10.1080/23299460.2020.1780094
- Koch, S. (2020): “The local consultant will not be credible”: How epistemic injustice is experienced and practised in development aid. Social Epistemology – A Journal of Knowledge, Culture and Policy 34 (5), pp. 478-489. https://doi.org/10.1080/02691728.2020.1737749
- Koch, S. (2018): Identifying enabling factors of science-policy interaction in a developing country context: A case study of South Africa’s environment sector. Forest Policy and Economics (91), pp. 36-45. doi.org/10.1016/j.forpol.2017.07.007
- Koch, S. (2017): International influence on forest governance in Tanzania: Analysing the role of aid experts in the REDD+ process. Forest Policy and Economics (83), pp. 181-190. dx.doi.org/10.1016/j.forpol.2016.09.018
- Koch, S. and Weingart, P. (2016): The Delusion of Knowledge Transfer: The Impact of Foreign Aid Experts on Policy-making in South Africa and Tanzania. Cape Town: African Minds.
- Koch, S. (2015): The Impact of Foreign Experts on Policymaking in Young Democracies – A Comparative Analysis of South Africa and Tanzania. Dissertation. Bielefeld: Universität Bielefeld.
Other publications:
- Boshoff, N., Ngwenya, S., Uisso, A., Koch, S., Costas, R., Dudek, J. (2024). Different representations of forest science in bibliographic databases and the (in-)visibility of Tanzanian research: applying an epistemic (in-)justice lens. 28th International Conference on Science, Technology and Innovation Indicators (STI2024), Berlin. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.14171521
- Koch, S., Ludwig, D., Boshoff, N., Boakye-Danquah, J., & Mbiah, A. F. T. (2024). Science as a site of inequality. Environmental Science & Policy, 103917. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.envsci.2024.103917
- Koch, S. (2024): Gender in research. Chapter in: Elias Andersson, Gun Lidestav and Maria Johansson (eds), 2024, Gender analysis of IUFRO: Identifying opportunities to enhance gender equality across the IUFRO network. Report prepared by the IUFRO Task Force on Gender Equality, IUFRO, pp. 4-6. URL: https://www.iufro.org/fileadmin/material/science/task-forces/tf-gender-equality/Gender-analsyis-of-IUFRO-240620.pdf
- Koch, S. (2024) Gender balance and geographical representation at IUFRO World Congresses. Chapter in: Andersson, E., Lidestav. G. and Johansson, M. (eds), Gender analysis of IUFRO: Identifying opportunities to enhance gender equality across the IUFRO network. Report prepared by the IUFRO Task Force on Gender Equality, IUFRO, pp. 31-32. URL: https://www.iufro.org/fileadmin/material/science/task-forces/tf-gender-equality/Gender-analsyis-of-IUFRO-240620.pdf
- Koch, S. (2024): (In-) equality, diversity and inclusion in forest science: why it matters. Lecture Article in the Massive Open Online Course “Gender Equality, Diversity & Inclusion in Forestry-related Sectors (ForGEDI)”. SLU Global, University of Padova, IUFRO.
- Koch, S. (2021): Researching conferences as spaces of valuation: a pragmatic approach. Preprint published on SocArXiv. doi.org/10.31235/osf.io/8sxtp
- Koch, S. (2021): Conferences as constitutive spaces of scientific fields. Conference Inference: Blogging the World of Conferences. 26. July 2021.
- Koch, S. (2021): Contextualising epistemic injustice in aid: On colliding interests, colonialism and counter-movements. Social Epistemology Review and Reply Collective 10 (2), pp. 14-21. wp.me/p1Bfg0-5FQ.
- Koch, S. (2020): Why responsible research must tackle inequality in science (not only, but especially during a global pandemic). Fourth Quadrant Research Network Blog. 21 December 2020.
- Koch, S. (2020): On (not) feeling virtual vibes: an academic mother’s EASST/4S online conference experience. EASST Review 39 (2).
- Koch, S. (2020): Of Hopes and Struggles: How Young African Scientists Experience Working Conditions in Academia (A Review of The Next Generation of Scientists in Africa). Backchannels (18.05.2020).
- Lund, J. F., Bukhi Mabele, M., Koch, S. (2016): Norway’s Tanzania REDD+ adventure. Another forestry experiment gone awry. Development Today 12-13, pp. 14-15.
- ForGEDI: Massive Open Online Course on gender equality and diversity issues in forest-related sectors (co-lecturer, starting 2024)
- Contributor to Lecture Series: Current Research at the Department of Science, Technology and Society (STS) (winter terms 2022/23 and 2023/24)
- Guest lecture “Inequalities in Science and their Implications for Sustainability Transformations” in “Introduction to Politics and Technology” (Prof. Tim Büthe)
- Responsibility for Environment and Health: Social and Cultural Perspectives on Environment, Health and Technology (co-lecturer in summer terms 2022 and 2023)
- Making a Mess with Methods II (co-lecturer in summer term 2022)
Reviews for scientific journals:
Critical Policy Studies, Forest Policy and Economics, Journal of Political Ecology, Journal of Responsible Innovation, Land Use Policy, Minerva, Society & Natural Resources, Allgemeine Forst- und Jagdzeitschrift
Reviews of books and commissioned studies, e.g.:
· Halvorsen, T., Orgeret, K.S., Krøvel, R. (Eds.), 2019. Sharing knowledge, transforming societies: The NORHED programme 2013-2020. African Minds, Cape Town.
· Pokorny, B. et al, 2019. Forests as Global Commons: International Governance and the role of Germany, AG Global Commons der Wissenschaftsplattform Nachhaltigkeit 2030 (with K. Böhling)
Review activity for the German Research Foundation (DFG)
Conference talks (with peer-review):
Boshoff, N., Ngwenya, S., Uisso, A., Koch, S., Costas, R., Dudek, J. (2024): Different representations of forest science in bibliographic databases and the (in-)visibility of Tanzanian research: applying an epistemic (in-)justice lens. 28th International Conference on Science, Technology and Innovation Indicators 2024, Humboldt University Berlin, 20.09.2024. https://doi.org/10.5281/zenodo.14171521
Sunagawa, S., Koch, S., Boshoff, N., Ngwenya, S., Uisso, A.J. (2024). Forest governance research in Tanzania: Analysing social and epistemic patterns in scientific publications. 3rd International TAFORI Scientific Conference ‘Restoring forest landscapes for sustainable development and climate change mitigation’. Tanzania Forestry Research Institute, Arusha, 13.12.2024
Boshoff, N., Ngwenya, S., Uisso, A., Koch, S., Costas, R., Dudek, J. (2024). Different representations of forest science in bibliographic databases and the (in-)visibility of Tanzanian research: applying an epistemic (in-)justice lens. 28th International Conference on Science, Technology and Innovation Indicators 2024. Humboldt University Berlin, 20.09.2024
Varga, J., Koch, S. (2024). Riding the waves: navigating relevance, hope and loss in social science research about oceans and forests. 11th Joint EASST/4S Meeting: Making and Doing Transformations. Athena Institute, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam, 16.07.2024
Koch, S. (2024). Gender and geography as inequality dimensions in forest research: insights from a multi-method study. 5th International Forest Policy Meeting (IFPM5). University of Helsinki, 11.04.2024
Koch, S., Tetley, C. (2024). What ‘counts’ in international forest policy research? A study on valuation practice and habitus in an interdisciplinary social science field generating forest-related knowledge, data and evidence. 5th International Forest Policy Meeting (IFPM5). University of Helsinki, 10.04.2024
Koch, S. (2023). Wie lassen sich Ungleichheiten in der Waldforschung soziologisch untersuchen? Ein multi-methodischer Ansatz mit praxeologischer Perspektive. 1. Soziologisches Waldsymposium. Universität Jena, 01.12.2023
Rogelja, T., Wallin, I., Lidestav, G. (…) Koch, S. (…) (2023). Bridging the education–practice gap through the forthcoming Massive Open Online Course (MOOC) on Gender equality and diversity in forest-related sectors (forGEDi). IUFRO Extension & Knowledge Exchange Conference ‘Forest Knowledge Exchange: Advancing Innovation with Tradition’. Padova, 07.10.2023
Koch, S., Boshoff, N., Costas, R., Dudek, J., Ngwenya, S., Strelnyk, O., Sunagawa, S., Tetley, C., Uisso, A. J. (2023). Researching inequalities in global forest science: insights from a multi-method study. 27th International Conference on Science, Technology and Innovation Indicators (STI-ENID 2023). Leiden University, 29.09.2023
Tetley, C., Koch, S. (2023). Experimenting with researcher positionality: A reflexive study of inequality in academic collaborations for sustainability. The case of forest governance. 6th Nordic STS conference. University of Oslo, 07.06.2023
Koch, S., Tetley, C. (2022). Too orthodox to be transformative? An examination of forest policy research and its role in tackling the deforestation crisis. EASST 2022 – The Politics of Technoscientific Futures. Madrid, 07.07.2022
Koch, S. (2022). Grasping the scientific self of forest policy researchers: insights from a praxeological study. 4th International Forest Policy Meeting (IFPM4). European Forest Institute (EFI), University of Life Sciences Vienna (virtual). 28.04.2022
Boncourt, T., Koch, S., Matviichuk, E. (2021). Les associations et conferences scientifiques international comme agents de la circulation inégale des connaissances. Journée d’étude Congrès Scientifiques et Réseaux Savants. GIS URFIST-Laboratoire Géographie-cités, Paris, 08.12.2021
Koch, S. (2021). What ‘counts’ in (forest) science? Examining conferences as spaces of academic valuation practice. 4S Annual Meeting (virtual). 06.10.2021
Koch, S. (2021). Wald in der Dauerkrise und die Rolle der Forstwissenschaften in deren (Nicht-) Bewältigung. Gemeinsamer Kongress der Deutschen Gesellschaft für Soziologie (DGS) und Österreichische Gesellschaft für Soziologie (ÖGS). Universität Wien (virtual), 25.08.2021
Koch, S. (2021). (Wie) lassen sich virtuelle Konferenzen beobachten? Einblicke und Fragen aus einer explorativen ethnografischen Studie zu (Be-)Wertungspraktiken in der Waldforschung. Workshop Digitale qualitative Forschung – grundsätzliche Ansätze und aktuelle Herausforderungen unter Pandemie-Bedingungen. LMU (virtual), 21.05.2021
Matviichuk, E., Koch, S. (2021). Gender- and geography-related inequalities in global forest science conferences: an actor-centred analysis of IUFRO World Congresses. 3rd International Forest Policy Meeting (IFPM3). Freiburg University (virtual), 18.03.2021
Koch, S. (2020). Inequality in science as subject of scholarly debate: a multi-disciplinary research synthesis. Joint EASST/4S Conference. University of Prague (virtual), 19.08.2020
Koch, S. (2019). (How) does ‘responsible research’ relate to ‘epistemic justice’? An attempt to open up thinking about inclusiveness in science by linking disconnected discourses. International Summer School ‘Responsible Innovation Cultures’. Munich Center for Technology in Society, 15.10.2019
Koch, S. (2016). Integrating science into environmental policymaking: insights from South Africa. IUFRO International and Multi-disciplinary Scientific Conference ‘Forest-related policy and governance: Analyses in the environmental social sciences’. Bogor Agricultural University, 05.10.2016
Koch, S. (2016). Preventing ‘partnership’, perpetuating dependence: The detrimental effects of knowledge hierarchies on international cooperation. DSA 2016 Conference: Politics in Development. University of Oxford, 14.09.2016
Koch, S. (2016). External experts’ influence on forest governance in Tanzania. 1st International Forest Policy Meeting, University of Göttingen,18.03.2016
Koch, S. (2014). Undermining democracy? The impact of expert advice on policy processes and governance in aid receiving countries. 12th Development Dialogue 2014: Rethinking Democracy. International Institute of Social Studies, 16.10.2014
Koch, S. (2014). Shaping the fabrics of the state: The impact of external experts on policy processes and governance in young African democracies. ASAUK (African Studies Association of the UK) Conference 2014. University of Sussex, 11.09.2014
Invited Talks:
Koch, S. (2024): Wie sich Ungleichheiten in der Waldforschung manifestieren und reproduzieren: Empirische Einblicke einer multi-methodischen Studie. Online Veranstaltungsreihe des Netzwerks Soziologische Waldforschung. 22.02.2024
Koch, S., Boshoff, N., Costas, R., Dudek, J., Ngwenya, S., Strelnyk, O., Sunagawa, S., Tetley, C., Uisso, A. J. (2024): Investigating inequalities in the field of forest science: insights from a multi-method study. Sociology of Science Seminar. Technische Universität Berlin, 08.02.2024
Koch, S. (2022): Science as a field of struggle: investigating inequalities and their epistemic effects in forest (policy) research. Symposium “Resilience in Food and Health Systems”. Center for Life Science Management and Policy, Straubing, 03.06.2022.
Boshoff, N. and Koch, S. (2022): Science and 'inequality': insights from Africa and environmental fields. CWTS Diversity and Inclusion in Global Science Seminar Series. Leiden University, 20.05.2022.
Koch, S. (2021): Tackling inequalities on stage and backstage of science conferences. Invited Key Note Talk. ISC workshop: Inclusive and accessible science communication. International Science Council, 15.09.2021.
Koch, S. (2020): Epistemic injustice and discriminatory credibility judgment of (scientific) experts: linkages and parallels between international cooperation and global science. Philosophisches Seminar der Westfälischen Wilhelms-Universität Münster, 12.11.2020
Koch, S. (2019): The 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development: a lever for transforming the social and epistemic fabrics of science? Workshop “The Eco-Social Development Paradigm, the SDGs and Universities”, University of Pretoria, Pretoria, 28.11.2019
Koch, S. (2019): The perpetuation of epistemic inequality by development cooperation. Invited talk. National SDG Conference Bergen, Day Zero Workshop “Decolonizing and democratizing knowledge”, University of Bergen, Bergen, 06.02.2019
Koch, S. (2018): Good intentions, detrimental effects: Why foreign aid experts harm young democracies. Invited Talk. Norwegian Agency for Development Cooperation, Oslo, 16.03.2018
- Koch, S. (2017): The calamitous coupling of science and politics. Invited Talk. Alumni Symposium: Science Policy Interfaces, Research Academy Leipzig, Universiy of Leipzig, Leipzig, 29.11.2017
- 2021: Postdoc fellowship of the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) for guest research stay at Leiden University
- 2016: Dissertation Award of Westfälisch-Lippischen Universitätsgesellschaft (Bielefeld)
- 2009 and 2010: Stipends of the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) for research stays in South Africa