Karl W. Haltiner

Karl W. Haltiner teaches sociology and military sociology at the Military Academy at the ETH Zurich. Together with the Center for Security Studies and Conflict Research he is the editor of the publication series "Sicherheit" (security) which surweys trends in public opinions of foreign policy, security policy and defence matters. He was awarded the title of Professor at the ETH Zurich in 2001.

Karl W. Haltiner, a citizen of Altstätten SG, was born on September 3, 1946. After a vocational training he went back to school and graduated in Economics and Sociology from the University of Berne in 1979. He subsequently worked for 6 years as an assistant at the Institute for Sociology at the University of Berne dealing with projects concerning youth and value change research. One of the major projects was the national research program Nr. 11 "Security Policy". In the eighties he worked on various research projects in the USA. Between 1985 and 1990 he was a senior lecturer for economics and sociology at the Fachhochschule (University of applied sciences) in Brugg-Windisch. In 1987 he became a lecturer for military sociology at the ETH Zurich and in 1990 he was appointed full-time lecturer at the Swiss Military College. He is a member of various national and international bodies and research groups. From 1996 to 1998 he served as chairman of the European Research Group on Military and Society (ERGOMAS). He is also a member of the Foundation Council of the Geneva Centre for Security Policy and of the Advisory Board of the Geneva Centre for the Democratic Control of Armed Forces. Furthermore he is the scientific director of the Federal Youth and Recruit Survey "ch-X".

Karl W. Haltiner regularly publishes articles in Swiss and foreign journals on issues such as social change, national and international security policy and on the question of legitimation and integration of armed forces in modern societies.