Prof. Dr. Lena Ulbricht

About

Lena Ulbricht is a professor of Political Science and Digitalization at the University of Hildesheim. Previously, she co-led the research group "Technology, Power, and Governance," of which she is now an associate researcher. She contributed to establishing the Weizenbaum Institute, where she led a research group on "Quantification and Social Regulation" from 2017 to 2022. During the 2023–2024 academic year, she held the Professorship for Political Theory and Philosophy at the Technical University of Munich (interim). Lena Ulbricht examines how democratic theories can contribute to the regulation of digital technologies and platforms. Another focus of her research is on the power dynamics of platforms and the automation of government functions. Central to her work are the opportunities for citizens and civil society to actively shape the digital transformation. She completed her habilitation in Political Science at the University of Bremen with a thesis on governance with digital technologies and the role of the state. Prior to that, she earned her PhD in Political Science at Humboldt University in Berlin. Lena Ulbricht is also the co-host of the intersectional feminist podcast Purple Code.