Dr. phil. Alfons Bora, Sociologist (M.A.), Lawyer (Assessor iur.), is Professor emeritus at the Faculty of Sociology, Bielefeld University.
- Studies in Law and Sociology at the Albert-Ludwigs-Universität, Freiburg im Breisgau
- 1982 First State Examination in Law
- 1985 Magister Artium in Sociology
- 1987 Second State Examination in Law
- 1983–1991 Researcher at the Max Planck Institute for Foreign and International Criminal Law (Freiburg im Breisgau, Germany), Department of Criminology
- 1985–1987 Legal training at the Administration of Justice in Baden-Württemberg and at the Federal Environment Agency (Umweltbundesamt), Berlin, Germany
- 1988 Contract researcher for the Federal Office of Investigation
- 1991 Dr. phil. (PhD) at the University of Freiburg, Faculty of Philosophy
- 1991–1998 Researcher at the Social Science Research Center Berlin (Wissenschaftszentrum Berlin für Sozialforschung, WZB), research unit "Standard-Setting and the Environment"
- 1995–1997 Researcher at the Freie Universität Berlin
- 1998 Habilitation at the Department of Philosophy and Social Sciences of the Freie Universität Berlin, venia legendi: Soziologie
- 1999–2023 Professor of sociology at Bielefeld University
- Member of the Standing Committee "Gemeinsamer Ausschuss zum Umgang mit Sicherheitsrelevanter Forschung" of Nationale Akademie der Wissenschaften Leopoldina and Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft DFG (2014-2024)
- Member of the Working Group "Umgang mit sicherheitsrelevanten Forschungsergebnissen" of Nationale Akademie der Wissenschaften Leopoldina and Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft DFG (2013-2014)
- Member of the German Ethics Council (Deutscher Ethikrat) 2008-2012
- Deputy Director of Bielefeld Graduate School in History and Sociology (2010-2014)
- Dean of the Faculty of Sociology at Bielefeld University, 2005–2007
- Deputy Dean of the Faculty of Sociology 2001–03, 2004–05, 2007–08, 2011–12
- Expert for (among others) Wissenschaftsrat, Leopoldina - Nationale Akademie der Wissenschaften, Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft, Volkswagen Stiftung, Alexander-von-Humboldt-Stiftung, Österreichische Akademie der Wissenschaften, EU-Kommission, Wissenschaftliche Kommission Niedersachsen, OECD, BMBF.
- Executive editor of Zeitschrift für Soziologie 2008-2012, member of the advisory board since 2012
- Former Member of the Editorial Board of "Comparative Sociology"
- Co-editor of Zeitschrift für Rechtssoziologie - The German Journal of Law and Society (Since 2000, Executive editor 2000-2005)
- Co-editor of InterDisciplines. Journal of History and Sociology (2010-2014)
- Co-editor of the series Wissenschafts- und Technikforschung (Nomos publishers) (2009-2018)
- Former Member of the Scientific Advisory Board of TATup - Zeitschrift für Technikfolgenabschätzung in Theorie und Praxis
- Founder member of Netzwerk Technikfolgenabschätzung (Network Technology Assessment)
- Member (2008-2016) and speaker (2014-2016) of the Scientific Advisory Board of ITA (Institut für Technikfolgenabschätzung der Österreichischen Akademie der Wissenschaften, Wien)
- Member of Kompetenznetzwerk Stammzellforschung NRW (Stem Cell Network North Rhine-Westphalia) (2012-2018)
- Member of the PhD funding committee of Evangelisches Studienwerk Villigst(until 2008)
- Member of the advisory board of the journal Sozialer Sinn
Research interests: Sociology of Law, Regulation of Science and Technology