Zeynep Pamuk

Zeynep Pamuk is Associate Professor of Contemporary Political Theory at the University of Oxford and Professorial Fellow at Nuffield College. Her research examines the relationship between scientific expertise and democratic governance, investigating how societies can effectively incorporate specialized knowledge into political decision-making. Pamuk's work addresses challenges posed by emerging technologies and crisis governance.

Research interests focus on democratic theory in contexts of scientific uncertainty, particularly regarding artificial intelligence, pandemic response, and environmental policy. Current projects investigate epistemic authority in democratic systems, judgment in algorithmic governance, and institutional designs for expert accountability.

Publications demonstrate consistent engagement with science-policy interfaces, emphasizing democratic legitimacy in technical decision-making. Recent articles analyze COVID-19 scientific advisory systems, AI's impact on political judgment, and conceptual frameworks for managing scientific ignorance in governance contexts.

Awards include the APSA Foundations of Political Theory Book Award for Politics and Expertise: How to Use Science in a Democratic Society. Pamuk advises graduate students researching democratic epistemology and serves on editorial boards of leading political theory journals.