Professor Urs Gasser appointed as a new member of Fondation Botnar Board

Fondation Botnar is pleased to announce the appointment of Professor Urs Gasser to its Board with effect from 1 March 2025. A renowned expert on AI and digital governance, Urs Gasser is a Professor of Public Policy, Governance, and Innovative Technology, Rector of the Munich School of Politics and Public Policy, and Dean of the School of Social Sciences and Technology at the Technical University of Munich. His research focuses on the interactions between innovative technologies and society, particularly on the social and regulatory implications of AI, augmented and virtual reality, and quantum technologies.

Urs Gasser advises international organisations (i.e. OECD, UNICEF) and contributes to policy discussions at the World Economic Forum (WEF). He is a member of the US National Academies of Sciences Working Group on Generative AI and currently chairs the International Policy Advisory Panel on AI Governance of the Kingdom of Thailand.

Previously, he was Professor of Practice at Harvard Law School and Executive Director of the Berkman Klein Center for Internet & Society from 2009-2021, where he remains a member of the Board of Directors. He has also been a visiting professor at the University of Zurich, Singapore Management University, the University of St. Gallen, and KEIO University in Japan.

Elsbeth Müller, Chair of the Fondation Botnar Board, said: “We are delighted to welcome Professor Urs Gasser to the Board. His deep knowledge and experience of emerging debates in the digital environment and their role for society, especially young people, will be crucial to our work as we strive to foster safe digital spaces where young people can thrive.”

Commenting on the appointment, Prof. Gasser said: “It is with great excitement that I join the Board of Fondation Botnar and become part of an organisation that puts the wellbeing of young people at its heart. I look forward to seeing how together we can support and learn from younger generations as we collectively navigate new realities in the digital age.”