Dr. Benjamin Hofmann

Assistant Professor

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Biography

Benjamin Hofmann is a Group Leader at TdLab of ETH Zurich and a lecturer in the Department of Environmental Systems Science. He completed his studies in Political Science at the University of Salzburg and Aarhus University, earning a BA and MA. His professional experience includes serving as a policy officer for the Central Commission for the Rhine, where he engaged in sustainable transport policy. He later pursued a PhD in International Affairs with a focus on Political Economy at the University of St.Gallen, concentrating his thesis on environmental regulation within maritime industries, and was part of the Swiss delegation to the International Maritime Organization. He has held various academic positions including postdoctoral researcher at Eawag and lecturer at the University of St.Gallen, where he also contributed to programs on energy governance and transdisciplinary research. Hofmann's current research investigates how knowledge governance can inform responses to human-driven environmental changes, integrating various forms of knowledge into policy-making. His future research focuses on climate change adaptation and biodiversity conservation.

Research Interests

Experience

Group Leader

2025-01-01 — Present

TdLab, ETH Zürich • Zürich, Switzerland

Leading projects focused on environmental systems science.

Scientist

2024-01-01 — 2025-01-01

Inter-Transdisciplinary Research Group, Eawag • Zürich, Switzerland

Conducted transdisciplinary research on social and environmental issues.

Lecturer

2021-01-01 — 2025-01-01

School of Economics and Political Science, University of St.Gallen • St.Gallen, Switzerland

Teaching and conducting research in political science and environmental studies.

Postdoctoral Researcher

2021-01-01 — 2024-01-01

Inter-Transdisciplinary Research Group, Eawag • Zürich, Switzerland

Research on transdisciplinary methods and knowledge integration.

Research Teaching Assistant

2015-01-01 — 2021-01-01

Institute of Political Science, University of St.Gallen • St.Gallen, Switzerland

Supported teaching and research activities in political science.

Policy Officer

2012-01-01 — 2015-01-01

Central Commission Rhine (CCNR) • Strasbourg, France

Worked on sustainable transport policy for an international organization.

Awards

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Resilience Oulu Academy Mobility (ROAM) Fellowship

2025-01-01
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Grímsson Fellowship

2024-01-01
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St.Gallen Wings Excellence Award

2017-01-01
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Carlo-Schmid Scholarship

2012-01-01

Requirements for ETH Zurich

Master Program
Requirements
GPA Requirement
Required:3.4
IELTS
Overall
Required:7
TOEFL
Total
Required:100
GRE General
Verbal
Required:159
Verbal Percentile
Required:80
Quantitative
Required:168
Quantitative Percentile
Required:81
Analytical Writing
Required:4.5
Writing Percentile
Required:85
Prerequisites
Bachelor's degree in a related field (Engineering, Natural Sciences, or Mathematics) Minimum 180 ECTS credits Subject-specific knowledge equivalent to ETH Bachelor's programs
Application Checklist
  • Bachelor's degree diploma or transcript
  • Official academic transcripts
  • Curriculum Vitae (CV)
  • Letter of Motivation (1 page)
  • Two academic recommendation letters
  • English language proficiency certificate
  • GRE General Test (for non-EU/EFTA applicants)
Specialization Notes

The GRE is mandatory for students who did not obtain their Bachelor's degree in an EU/EFTA state. Some departments (e.g., Computer Science) have specific ECTS credit requirements in core subjects.