Koen Beumer studied Cultures of Arts, Science and Technology (MPhil, cum laude) at Maastricht University, the Netherlands. After working as a policy researcher at the Dutch National Council for Science and Technology Policy, he is currently a PhD candidate at Maastricht University.
For his dissertation, Koen investigates the relation between nanotechnology and development by focusing on the governance of nanotechnology. How do democratic countries in the global South govern nanotechnology for development? Building on extensive fieldwork and interviews with key persons in the governance of nanotechnology in India, South Africa and Kenya, Koen found that these countries have different styles of governance. There are marked differences in the traditions and institutions exercising authority over nanotechnology in India, South Africa, and Kenya: different concerns were articulated, different actors were involved, and concerns were addressed in different ways.