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Hans Krause Hansen

Professor

Subjects
Digitalisation Sustainability Politics Globalisation Sociology

Primary research areas

New modes of governance

I explore the transformation of the boundaries between public and private governance, including how non-state actors such as corporations shape social, economic and political life at local, national and transnational levels

Surveillance, transparency and risk in the digital age

I examine how organizations and societies identify and act on risks through surveillance and transparency technologies, as well as how those technologies produce new forms of control and risks

Corruption and international anti-corruption

I study how corruption risks are understood and handled in organizations and in the international context, especially the role of corporations and other non-state actors acting under changing geopolitical circumstances

Environmental governance

I investigate environmental governance, focusing on maritime environmental governance, and the contested governance of deep-sea mining, a frontier with profound environmental risks and political stakes.

Governance, Culture and Risk

Research Focus 
 Trained in political science, cultural studies, and Latin American Studies, my work explores how states and non-state actors, such as corporations, shape political and economic life across borders within shifting governance contexts. I rethink governance not as a fixed system but as a dynamic field where power, risk, responsibility, culture and technologies are constantly negotiated. 

Projects 
 I have examined administrative reforms in public sector organizations, the management of corruption risks in public and private institutions as well as international arenas, and the ways surveillance and transparency in the digital age function as control technologies. My current research focuses on environmental maritime governance and the contested politics of deep-sea mining - frontiers where sustainability challenges, ecological risks, and geopolitical stakes intersect. 

Teaching & Engagement 
I contribute through teaching, supervision, and leadership, with experience managing BA, MA, and PhD programs and research, and collaborating with industries, NGOs, governments, and international organizations. My perspective helps students challenge taken-for-granted assumptions and theories, supports governments in rethinking policy, and encourages corporations to reflect critically on their role in anti-corruption and societal governance. 

Recent research projects

Environmental Governance in Kenya - Policy, Practice and Prospects for the Abatement of shipping Air Emissions (EMG-K) (co-investigator; PI: René Taudal Poulsen)

EMG-K examines: 1) Kenya’s role in policymaking at the International Maritime Organization (IMO), which regulates shipping emissions under the MARPOL Convention; and 2) the implementation and enforcement of MARPOL Annex VI in Kenyan ports. Effective maritime emissions abatement depends on uniform global rules and strong enforcement, both difficult in a highly mobile, global industry.