Anna Lisa Ahlers

Anna Lisa Ahlers is a Professor II in Chinese Studies at the University of Oslo and heads the Lise Meitner Research Group 'China in the Global System of Science' at the Max Planck Institute for the History of Science in Berlin. Her research bridges political science, authoritarianism, and science studies, with a focus on local governance and environmental policy in China.

Her recent publications analyze technocratic governance, academic freedom challenges, and science-policy integration in authoritarian contexts. Notably, she examines how China’s Communist Party structures its science and innovation system and navigates internationalization pressures. Her work reveals patterns of localized policy implementation and authoritarian environmentalism.

Ahlers earned her MA (2007) and PhD (2013) from the University of Tübingen, with additional studies at Peking and Renmin Universities. Her career includes affiliations with the Mercator Institute for China Studies, University of Chicago, and University of Bonn, reflecting a transnational academic trajectory.