Sheila Jasanoff

Sheila Jasanoff is the Pforzheimer Professor of Science and Technology Studies at Harvard Kennedy School. She is a leading scholar on the relationship between science, law, and politics, and the founder of the field of comparative science and technology studies. Her work examines how scientific knowledge is produced, validated, and used in democratic societies. At The Future of Science, Jasanoff addressed the social implications of digital technologies and the governance challenges they pose.

Jasanoff developed the concept of “co-production,” arguing that scientific knowledge and social order are produced simultaneously and cannot be understood independently. Her comparative studies of regulatory science in the United States, United Kingdom, and Germany revealed how different political cultures shape the production and use of scientific evidence. Her work has been particularly influential in debates about climate change governance, biotechnology regulation, and the role of expertise in democratic decision-making.