Dr. Wessel Reijers
Dr. Wessel Reijers
Biography
Dr. Wessel Reijers is a researcher specializing in technology ethics, governance, and the societal impact of emerging technologies. His work focuses on how digital systems—particularly those involving data, algorithms, and decentralized infrastructures—are reshaping citizenship, governance, and public life.
He holds a PhD in Technology Ethics from Dublin City University and has held academic positions across leading European institutions, including Paderborn University, the European University Institute, and the University of Vienna. His research combines philosophical inquiry with applied analysis, addressing the ethical and political implications of technological innovation.
Dr. Reijers brings a critical and interdisciplinary perspective to the study of digital transformation, examining both the opportunities and risks associated with new technological paradigms.
Teaching Experience
Dr. Wessel Reijers has been actively involved in academic research and teaching across several European universities.
Through his roles at institutions such as Paderborn University and the European University Institute, he has contributed to teaching and research in areas including technology ethics, digital governance, and the societal implications of emerging technologies.
His teaching approach encourages critical thinking and interdisciplinary analysis, helping students understand not only how technologies function, but also how they shape social, political, and economic systems.
Industry Expertise
Dr. Wessel Reijers brings expertise in the ethical, political, and societal dimensions of emerging technologies, with a particular focus on governance models and digital systems.
His research has explored the impact of technologies such as social credit systems on citizenship and individual rights, as well as the broader implications of data-driven governance. He has also investigated distributed governance models, including blockchain-based systems, analyzing both their potential to decentralize power and the challenges they present in practice.
He has contributed to major international research initiatives, including the ERC-funded BlockchainGov project, where he examined the governance implications of blockchain technologies alongside leading experts in the field.
Through his work, Dr. Reijers provides critical insight into how emerging technologies can be designed and implemented in ways that are ethically sound and socially responsible.
Education
● PhD in Technology Ethics — Dublin City University