Dr. Alain Müller

Assistant Professor

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Biography

Alain Müller is an Assistant Professor of Cultural Anthropology at the University of Basel, where he shares a joint professorship in Cultural Anthropology and Gender Studies. He conducts research at the intersections of anthropology, knowledge, and Science and Technology Studies, as well as in the environmental humanities. Previously, he held postdoctoral fellowships at the Center for Ethnography at the University of California, Irvine, and at the University of Geneva, supported by the Swiss National Science Foundation. Müller received his PhD from the Institute of Ethnology at the University of Neuchâtel in 2010. His research explores the ways humans relate to things and the entanglement of culture and nature. He is currently developing a research group titled “Nature – Representations – Materialities,” which aims to trace ethnographically various practices that engage with nature, specifically how these practices might re-present nature. Additionally, Müller investigates modes of representing and modeling mountains in art, craft, and science, and how these influence the establishment of truth in reality. His current work also includes studying the formation of collectives and specific kinds of knowledge, notably through mediation of objects within networks. A monograph explores the hardcore (punk) music subculture and its shared networks, while another project focuses on urban sports and their translocal communities.

Research Interests

Requirements for University of Basel

Master Program
Requirements
GPA Requirement
Required:3
TOEFL
Listening
Required:22
Reading
Required:22
Writing
Required:22
Speaking
Required:22
Total
Required:95
IELTS
Listening
Required:6
Reading
Required:6
Writing
Required:6
Speaking
Required:6
Overall
Required:7
Prerequisites
Bachelor's degree in a relevant field with at least 180 ECTS Specific ECTS requirements in core subjects (e.g., 90 ECTS in Math/CS for Data Science)
Application Checklist
  • Bachelor's degree certificate or current transcript of records
  • Diploma Supplement (if available)
  • CV/Resume
  • Copy of valid passport or ID card
  • Evidence of language proficiency (C1 level recommended for English/German programs)
  • Proof of payment of application fee (CHF 100)
Specialization Notes

The University of Basel generally requires C1 level proficiency in the language of instruction. For most English-taught Masters, TOEFL (min 92-95) or IELTS (min 7.0) is the standard.