معرفی
Dr Johan Rochel is a legal scholar and ethicist based at the University of Zurich, jointly affiliated with the Faculty of Law and the Center for Ethics. He is an active member of the university-wide Digital Society Initiative (DSI), where he contributes to the DSI Community on AI & Law among others.
Trained in law, political philosophy and ethics, his academic work interrogates questions of justice in international and European law, and probes the ethical and legal challenges posed by emerging digital technologies.
Research Interests
Rochel’s research agenda is interdisciplinary, spanning:
- Ethics and governance of AI and robotics – algorithmic accountability, transparency, and rights-based oversight.
- Digital rights and digital integrity – conceptualising new human rights for the digital age.
- Innovation ethics and responsible innovation – integrating ethical foresight into technology design and policy.
- Migration law and theory – republican non-domination, fairness in immigration policy, and normative foundations of border regimes.
- International intellectual property law – legitimacy, development, and access to knowledge.
Across these themes he combines doctrinal legal analysis with normative political philosophy to craft actionable policy blueprints.
Publication Trends
Between 2020 and 2025 Rochel has produced an intensive stream of peer-reviewed articles that converge on two broad trajectories: first, embedding ethical reasoning into hard and soft law instruments governing digital technologies, and second, re-imagining migration governance through republican lenses. His work increasingly links abstract theory with concrete regulatory proposals, reflecting a commitment to applied legal theory.
Scientific Awards & Distinctions
No specific awards are listed in the provided material.
Advising & Grant Activity
No named students or detailed grant information are provided in the text.
Laboratory / Research Teams
Rochel is associated with the Digital Society Initiative (DSI) at UZH, a cross-faculty network fostering interdisciplinary research on digital transformation. Within DSI he contributes to the AI & Law community, collaborating with scholars from law, computer science, political science and philosophy.
