Silja Vöneky

Prof. Dr. Silja Vöneky serves as Professor of Public International Law, Comparative Law, and Ethics of Law at the University of Freiburg, Germany, where she is (Co-)Director of the Institute for Public Law and Vice Dean of the Faculty of Law since October 2019. She also holds an associated membership at the Institute for Philosophy of Law.

Her educational background spans law and philosophy of law studies at Freiburg, Bonn, Edinburgh (UK), and Heidelberg universities. Appointed by the Max Planck Society in 2005 as Director of the research group 'Legitimation of Ethical Decisions,' she completed her Habilitation at Heidelberg University on 'Recht, Moral und Ethik' (Law, Morality and Ethics).

Vöneky's research centers on the interdependence of Ethics and Law within international frameworks, with specialized focus on governance mechanisms for scientific and technological innovations. Current work examines risk governance in artificial intelligence and biotechnology through international legal lenses, notably within FRIAS's Responsible AI initiative and the Connecticut/Baden-Württemberg Human Rights Research Consortium.

Key recognitions include:

• Harvard Law School Human Rights Program Fellowship (2015-2016)
• FRIAS Responsible Artificial Intelligence Fellowship (2018–present)

She advises the University of Cambridge's CSER project 'A Science of Global Risk' (since 2019) and previously served on the German Ethics Council (until 2016). Active in multiple federal commissions and international research consortia, she leads the 'Human Rights, Science and Technology' working group at HRRC while directing Freiburg's interdisciplinary AI ethics research.