Klaus Ammann, Board of Trustees

Klaus Ammann Prof. em. University of Bern, Switzerland

Skypein +41 33 543 91 52, mobile +41 79 429 70 62

Permanent address: Monruz 20, CH – 2000 Neuchâtel, Switzerland

klaus.ammann@ips.unibe.ch

Academic curriculum

Studies at University of Berne, Bergen Norway, Jamaica, Duke University, Missouri Botanical Garden

Lecturer University of Bern Dept. of Cryptogamic Botany 1976 – 1996, Biodiversity and Ecology until 2006

Lecturer Federal School of Technology Zurich 1976-2000, Biomonitoring Air Pollution

Director Botanic Garden, University of Berne 1996 – 2006, http://www.botanischergarten.ch/web/boga/home.html

Honorary Professor since 2000

Retirement from University and Botanic Garden Bern: February 2006

Visiting professor Delft University of Technology, Biotechnology Dept. 2006-2008, Biosafety and Communication

Visiting professor Sabanci University Istanbul February – June 2009: Plant Ecology and Biosafety

Teaching

1. •Lecturing in Plant Systematics and Evolution, Vegetation Ecology, Biogeography at University of Bern
   

2. •Taxonomy and Ecology of Lichens and Mosses
   

3. •Air Pollution Biomonitoring with Lichens at ETH Zürich
   

4. •TU Delft: Biodiversity, Biosafety and Communication
   

5. •Sabanci University Istanbul, Turkey
   

Committees

1. •Chair European expert committee on plant conservation, Council of Europe 1998-2004  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Convention_on_the_Conservation_of_European_Wildlife_and_Natural_Habitats
   

2. •Founding Member of Planta Europa, steering committee – 2002, http://www.plantaeuropa.org/
   

3. •Biosafety Committee of the Government of Switzerland until end 2007 http://www.efbs.admin.ch/en/index.html
   

4. •Board of Directors Africa Harvest until 2006, http://africaharvest.org/
   

5. •Executive Board European Federation of Biotechnology EFB http://www.efb-central.org/index.php/
   

6. •Chair Section Biodiversity EFB,  http://www.bio-div.org/
   

7. •Steering Committee PRRI: Public Research and Regulation Initiative, http://pubresreg.org
   

8. •Board of Trustees Black Sea Biotechnology Association, http://www.bsba.ag/BSBA/Home_en.html
   

Research Projects

Closed: Collaboration Atlas of the Swiss Flora, Chemotaxonomy of Macro-Lichens, Calibrated biomonitoring of Air Pollution with Lichens, Ecological Monitoring SANW, Ethno-Botany in Jamaica, Ecological Monitoring in Bulgaria, Plant Conservation Europe IUCN, several research projects on vertical gene flow of crops in Switzerland and the EU, see bibliography for publications.

Book Projects

1. •Guest Editor Vatican Conference GM crops and Developing Countries, Elsevier
   

2. •Biology of Sorghum, Birkhauser Springer Editors
   

3. •Taxonomy, Ecology and Gene Flow of Biofuel Crops
   

4. •Biology, Ecology and Biosafety of Bt maize
   

5. •Collected Mythbusters around the global debate on GM crops, source: 11 contributions from ASK-FORCE blogs
   

Website Activities

1. •Berne Debates: Closed mid 2005, important links shown on http://www.efb-central.org/index.php/forums/
   

2. •Contributing member of the Faculty of 1000: http://www.facultyof1000.com/about/biography/1260323600223102
   

3. •Website of EFB, European Federation of Biotechnology, Section Biodiversity http://www.bio-div.org/
   Moderator ASK-FORCE http://www.efb-central.org/index.php/forums/ and www.pubresreg.org
   

4. •
   

5. •Bibliography and more information in http://www.botanischergarten.ch/Curriculum/Links.pdf
   

My scientific credo:

It is my intention to encourage the learning process leading to solutions of today's crucial problems such as protection of biodiversity, risk-benefit assessment of genetically engineered crops and the public debate about biotechnology. All this should serve to enhance the dialogue between the rich and the poor, hunger being the foremost problem on this planet. Ultimately, risk is the balance between hazard and opportunity. If scientists want to be heard with factual arguments, they must admit that the world cannot be explained exclusively by facts, since the questions about problems and opportunities connected to scientific progress have social and cultural components and are thus extremely complex. Debates on such complex issues need to have a discursive structure taking into account the symmetry of ignorance  ≠ to the asymmetry of knowledge.

http://www.botanischergarten.ch/Wiley/Factors-Discourse-Wiley.pdf