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Science, Technology and Public Policy
Last Updated: 2026-02-05 15:14:55
Abstract
- to improve understanding of political decision-making processes in the field of science & technology- to recognize the challenges and opportunities of technological change in terms of sustainable development- to become familiar with theories and methods used in the analysis of public perceptions and political interests
Objective
- to improve understanding of political decision-making processes in the field of science & technology - to recognize the challenges and opportunities of technological change in terms of sustainable development - to become familiar with theories and methods used in the analysis of public perceptions and political interests
Content
Science and Technology Policy was hitherto mostly associated with increasing national competitiveness. This course will show that it is also a crucial component of effective environmental and development policies. It will discuss the challenges and opportunities of technological change in terms of sustainable development and explore to what extent government regulation and market forces can interact to create incentives for firms to engage in environmental product and process innovation. The course addresses the following questions: How do markets and government respond to societal and environmental risks and what is the role of science in the respective regulatory frameworks? What are the determinants of technological innovation and how can they be influenced through political incentives? How can the promotion of science and technology with relevance to the environmental improvements and human development as well as the effectiveness of collaboration between private and the public institutions be improved in the management of global public goods? (e.g. clean air, access to food and education)? What is the relationship between technological change and sustainable development? Based on selected theories in the area of political economy and new growth theory, concrete case studies will illustrate how particular forms of state intervention and regulation (environmental regulation, tax policy, patent law, anti-trust, North-South technology transfer) can impact the trajectory of technological change and highlight the implications for the environment and society. The 2-hour course will be held every Tuesday from 10-12 a.m. The course material will be available in form of a reader. The class will be taught in English. Students will be asked to give a (a) 10 minute presentation on a paper that is part of the reader and (b) they will have to past a written test at the end of the course in order to obtain 3 credit points in the ECTS System
Resources
Lecture Notes
Reader with issue-specific articles. E-version is partly available under(http://www.ib.ethz.ch/index04.htm)
Literature
http://www.iaw.agrl.ethz.ch/~aernip/ Dutfield, Graham. Intellectual Property Rights, Trade and Biodiversity: London: Earthscan Publications, 2000. Farber, Daniel. Eco-pragmatism: Making Sensible Environmental Decisions in an Uncertain World. Chicago: The University of Chicago Press, 2000. Kaul, Inge/Grunberg, Isabelle, and Marc A. Stern (eds). Global Public Goods. International Cooperation in the 21th century. Published for the United Nations Development Program. New York: Oxford University Press, 1999. Olson, Mancur. Rise and Decline of Nations. New Haven/London, Yale University Press, 1982. Schumpeter, Joseph A. Capitalism, Socialism and Democracy. New York. Harper Collins Publishers, 1942. Rosenberg, Nathan. Schumpeter and the Endogeneity of Technology. London: Routledge, 2000. Viscusi, W. Kip et. al. The Economic of Regulation and Antistrust. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press, 2001.
General Information
- Language
- English
- Levels
- DS , DR , MSC
- Frequency
- Yearly recurring
Examination
- Type
- graded semester performance
Course Components
| Type | Title | Time & Place | Hours |
|---|---|---|---|
| lecture | Science, Technology and Public Policy |
|
2 h weekly |
Offered In
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Humanities, Social and Political Sciences (In order to be awarded credits, please register under "Pflichtwahlfach GESS"!. The language courses are offered by the ETH and University of Zurich Language Center.)
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