Michael Huber

Prof. Dr. Michael Huber is a Professor of Higher Education Research and Sociology of Regulation at Bielefeld University's Faculty of Sociology, Department of Law and Society. He serves as spokesperson for Department AB 11 and leads the Working Group on the Sociology of Regulation. His research focuses on regulatory mechanisms in higher education, risk-based governance, and quantification processes in academia. Key projects include QUAD (comparing quantification in universities, prisons, and hospitals) and HowSAFE (risk-based regulation analysis). Huber’s work bridges organizational sociology with policy studies, examining topics like flood insurance regimes, climate policy, and academic accountability. He actively supervises theses across bachelor’s, master’s, and doctoral levels.

Education & Affiliations:

• Professorship tied to Sociology of Regulation and Higher Education
• Member of BiSEd (Bielefeld Graduate School in History and Sociology)
• Leading the AG Huber research group

Research Interests:

• Quantification and regulatory logics in universities
• Risk assessment and policy implementation across EU states
• Insurance mechanisms for social risks
• Comparative analysis of regulatory styles in education and labor safety

Recent Trends in Publications: Huber’s work emphasizes the societal impacts of regulatory frameworks, particularly how quantification reshapes academic and institutional practices. His 2020s research highlights the tension between accountability measures and institutional autonomy in higher education, while earlier papers (2010s–2000s) explored risk governance in environmental and occupational safety contexts.

Grants & Labs:

• QUAD project: Investigating quantification across sectors
• HowSAFE initiative: Analyzing risk-based regulatory approaches
• Supervision of qualification papers on topics like insurance redistribution and Wikipedia’s inclusion dynamics

Lab & Teams: The Working Group on the Sociology of Regulation collaborates on interdisciplinary projects, offering students hands-on research experience. Current projects address climate policy leadership and the evolving role of insurance in managing societal risks.