JULIAN ASBÄCK

Julian is a PhD researcher in the Department of Politics and International Relations at Goldsmiths. His project, co-supervised by Will Davies and Michael Guggenheim, investigates the role of Integrated Assessment Models (IAMs) as instruments of climate governance. Through a political economy lens, he develops an empirical study of the calculation techniques that translate climate issues into numerical models. A central concern is thereby to understand how models became crucial tools for rendering successful climate politics and continued economic growth mutually compatible policy goals. The project investigates how agents, instruments and practices combine to construct, not only the models themselves, but ultimately discourses on how to engage climate change politically. His work is funded by a doctoral studentship from the AHRC.

Before joining Goldsmiths, Julian worked as a scientific coordinator at the Max Planck Institute for Meteorology, a leading institute for climate research. His work there focused on managing EU- and German-funded projects, and on devising science communication and outreach formats to engage a wider public. Julian holds an MA in Philosophy from the University of Arts and Design Karlsruhe, where he was a member of the AI Forensics research group.

Work w/ CUSP

Julian contributes to CUSP’s systems analysis theme by exploring how model development can be harnessed to construct compelling narratives for new policy pathways. He also contributes to the politics and philosophy research themes, examining the development of new forms of sustainable prosperity at the level of international organisations.