Short biography

Stephan Pühringer is a socioeconomist, Deputy Head of the Institute for Comprehensive Analysis of the Economy (ICAE), and Head of the Socio-Ecological Transformation Lab at the Linz Institute for Transformative Change (LIFT_C) at Johannes Kepler University Linz (JKU). In 2015, he completed his PhD at JKU Linz on the topic “The strange non-crisis of economics: Economic crisis and crisis policies in economic and political discourses.”  In recent years, Stephan has led several research projects, including the interdisciplinary FWF Zukunftskolleg SPACE (Spatial Competition and Economic Policies) and the project “Producing the Mobility Transition: Production Conditions for the Expansion of Public Transport in Austria.” In 2023, he was awarded the prestigious START Prize by the Austrian Science Fund (FWF) for his project “Sustainable Socio-Ecological Transformation and Economic Reasoning.”

Research Focus

Stephan’s research interests encompass critical competition studies, the political economy of socio-ecological transformation, the history of economic thought, science studies, and neoliberalism studies. Currently, his work addresses the multifaceted challenges and barriers to a comprehensive socio-ecological transformation of the economy. He also examines the diverse consequences of the increasing competitization of the academic system. Against this backdrop, Stephan co-founded the “Netzwerk Unterbau Wissenschaft” (NUWiss, opens an external URL in a new window), which advocates for better working conditions and democratization in universities. Drawing on an interdisciplinary background, Stephan applies methods such as critical discourse analysis, social network analysis, and institutional analysis.

• Competition research; Cultural Political Economy; Discourse Analyses; Socio-ecological transformation; Social Studies of Economics

Teaching Experience

Stephan has taught at various universities and higher educational institutions on topics including political economy, the history of economic thought, the history of political ideas, and socio-ecological transformation. Currently, he is responsible for the introductory lecture History of Economic Thought for economics students and the specialization Economy and Society in the program “Politische Bildung” at JKU Linz.

• Socio-Ecological Transformation, History of Economic Thought, Political Economy, Economy and Society, Pluralism in Economics