Professor Robert Prentner
Robert Prentner, Ph.D. is an Assistant Professor at the Institute of Humanities at ShanghaiTech University and a Member of the Association for Mathematical Consciousness Science with over 15 years of experience in interdisciplinary research spanning philosophy, consciousness studies, and physical chemistry. He is a philosopher and interdisciplinary scientist building a novel framework that integrates scientific research, technological developments (particularly AI), and insights from the humanities.
Robert is known for his pioneering work on the interface theory of perception, the mathematization of phenomenology, and his contributions to mathematical consciousness science.
Since March 2024, Robert has served as Assistant Professor at ShanghaiTech University’s Institute of Humanities in Shanghai, China. In this role, he focuses on developing frameworks that bridge consciousness research with artificial intelligence and technological developments. His research centers on the interface theory of perception and the mathematization of phenomenology, utilizing category and network theory approaches.
Robert recently published Interfacing Consciousness in Frontiers in Psychology (2024) as the first author, where he and Donald Hoffman propose a new perspective rooted in conscious agent theory to address the current impasse in consciousness science. Read Explanatory profiles of models of consciousness – towards a systematic classification.
Prior to his current position, Robert held prestigious fellowships at leading international institutions. Between 2021 and February 2024, he was a Postdoctoral Fellow at the Munich Center for Mathematical Philosophy at LMU München, working with Professor Christian List. From February 2021 to January 2023, he served as Senior Research Fellow at the Center for the Future Mind at Florida Atlantic University, collaborating with Professor Susan Schneider on consciousness and artificial intelligence research. Between 2018 and 2020, he was an Assistant Specialist in the Department of Cognitive Sciences at the University of California, Irvine, working with Professor Donald Hoffman on the interface theory of perception.
Robert is a coorganizer of the prestigious Models of Consciousness conference series, which began at Oxford University in 2019 and has become a leading international forum for mathematical and formal approaches to consciousness. He serves as Guest Editor for a special issue of Entropy dedicated to formal models of consciousness, alongside Ian Durham, Johannes Kleiner, and others. In 2023, he coauthored Fusions of Consciousness with Donald Hoffman and Chetan Prakash, published in Entropy, which presents a mathematical theory of conscious agents whose dynamics are described by Markov chains. Read Fact, Fiction, and Fitness.
Robert’s interdisciplinary expertise extends beyond philosophy to practical applications. He holds a patent (EU 18175914.3-1110) for the Processing of Insect Larvae, focusing on ethical and sustainable processing methods for Black Soldier Fly larvae for food and feed production. This work demonstrates his commitment to applying scientific knowledge to real-world sustainability challenges. His early career focused on molecular quantum dynamics and physical chemistry, resulting in numerous publications in leading journals.
Robert earned his first Doctor of Science degree in Interdisciplinary Sciences (Physical Chemistry) from ETH Zürich in 2013, receiving the prestigious ETH Medal for his outstanding dissertation on quantum dynamics of chiral molecules. He earned his second Doctor of Science degree in Philosophy from ETH Zürich in 2017, focusing on consciousness and the philosophy of science.
He also earned his Master of Arts in History and Philosophy of Knowledge from ETH Zürich in 2012 with distinction, and his Master of Science in Interdisciplinary Sciences in 2008, for which he received the Willi-Studer Prize for achieving the best graduate diploma in his cohort.
His academic journey at ETH Zürich spanned over a decade, during which he held various research and teaching positions. Between 2008 and 2017, he worked as a researcher in physical chemistry, investigating quantum dynamics, spectroscopy, and parity violation in chiral molecules. From 2014 to 2019, he served as Associate Lecturer at ETH Zürich’s Chair of Philosophy, teaching courses on philosophy of chemistry, philosophy of science, and foundations of chemistry. In January 2013, he was a Visiting Scholar at the Center for the Explanation of Consciousness at Stanford University, working with Professor Paul Skokowski.
Robert received the Swiss National Science Foundation Mobility Fellowship in July 2018, which supported his research at the University of California, Irvine. He has been an Affiliated Member of the Association for Mathematical Consciousness Science since January 2021 and has been a member of the Foundational Questions Institute since January 2020. As a prolific reviewer, Robert serves on the editorial boards of numerous prestigious journals, including Consciousness and Cognition, Entropy, Frontiers in Psychology, Journal of Consciousness Studies, Mind and Matter, Neuroscience of Consciousness, Philosophy of Science, and Synthese.
His teaching experience includes courses on Minds as Machines at Florida Atlantic University, The Mind-Body Problem at UC Irvine, and Languages of Thought: Introduction into Symbolizations of Mind at ETH Zürich. Watch Models of Consciousness Conference. Read Dr Goff, Tear Down This Wall! The interface theory of perception and the science of consciousness and Consciousness: a molecular perspective.
Robert’s work bridges multiple disciplines, from his early research in molecular quantum dynamics to his current focus on consciousness, AI, and phenomenology. His Erdős number of 4 reflects his collaborative nature and the connections he has within the mathematical community.
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