Dr. T E Swierstra

Biography

T.E. Swierstra is a scholar whose research primarily focuses on ethics and politics relating to new emerging science and technology (NEST). He has published work addressing moral controversies around cloning, new reproductive technologies, genomics, food technologies, nanotechnology, synthetic biology, artificial gametes, neuroscience, and the overall implications of converging technologies. His research aims to analyze, evaluate, and anticipate the mutual shaping of science and technology through what he terms 'Techno-Moral Change'. Swierstra seeks to provide anticipatory knowledge about technomoral change that can be made available to technologists, policymakers, and the general public. He has authored numerous reports and developed technomoral scenarios for public engagement events, supporting various NEST dimensions. He has secured regular funding from the Dutch Rathenau Institute and has been involved in multiple research projects funded by NWO and other national bodies exploring the intersection of ethics, technology, and societal implications. He received his PhD in 1998 from the University of Groningen, where his dissertation was recognized in the political science domain. Swierstra has progressed through academia, teaching and developing ethical frameworks for understanding emerging technologies, and has held a full professorship at Maastricht University, where he leads the Department of Philosophy within the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences.

Research Interests