Dr. Matthias Leese

Assistant Professor

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Biography

Assistant Professor in Technology Governance at ETH Zurich's Department of Humanities, Social Political Sciences, Matthias Leese has a research focus on the effects of digital technologies on social order. His work pays specific attention to how security organizations’ rationales and practices are co-constituted with technological and social factors. He has published widely in leading journals in the fields of International Relations, Science and Technology Studies, and Criminology. Leese is the co-author of "Criminal Futures: Predictive Policing Everyday Police Work" (2025) and serves as the editor-in-chief of the Journal of International Relations and Development (2021). His research has received recognition, including an ERC Starting Grant, for studies on data quality in European law enforcement and border control cooperation (CURATE).

Research Interests

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.