معرفی
Ulrich Brand is a Professor in the Department of Political Science at the University of Vienna, Austria, with dual affiliation at the Environment and Climate Research Hub. His active teaching portfolio includes foundational courses like Introduction to the Discipline and Basics of Political Science, alongside specialized research colloquia on transnational socio-ecological transformation. His work critically examines the structural barriers preventing ecological sustainability within capitalist frameworks.
Brand's research centers on the imperial mode of living as a core analytical concept for understanding socio-ecological crises, emphasizing how global inequalities and unsustainable consumption patterns perpetuate ecological destruction. He investigates the geopolitical dimensions of decarbonization, highlighting tensions between Global North and South, while developing theoretical frameworks for solidary alternatives that prioritize global justice and ecological regeneration. His methodology combines historical materialism with critical policy analysis to expose capitalism's inherent ecological limits.
Analysis of his 2024-2025 publications reveals consistent thematic focus: the imperial mode of living functions simultaneously as a cause of multiple crises (ecological, social, geopolitical) and a barrier to sustainable transformation. Key trends include deconstructing green capitalism illusions, analyzing state responses to climate emergencies, and proposing radical alternatives rooted in degrowth and global solidarity. His work spans transnational policy analysis, critical political economy, and emancipatory social theory with strong empirical grounding in climate governance conflicts.
Brand operates within the Environment and Climate Research Hub at Augasse 2-6, 1090 Wien, which serves as an interdisciplinary nexus for climate research. His departmental base is Room B0210 at the Department of Political Science (Universitätsstraße 7, 1010 Wien), where he contributes to both undergraduate STEOP programs and advanced research training. This institutional positioning enables his dual focus on theoretical innovation and practical policy engagement regarding socio-ecological transformation.
