Saadat Hussain
Research Profile
Knowledge Transfer in Social Sciences and Humanities | Indicators and Impact Research | Epistemology/Methodology of the Social Sciences | Integration of Max Weber’s Methodology of the Social Sciences und Charles Peirce’s Philosophy
Saadat Hussain, born in 1991 in Karachi, Pakistan, began his academic career with a bachelor’s degree in mechanical engineering. Early on, however, he developed a stronger interest in social issues and theoretical problems, which led him to turn to sociology and to continue his education consistently within the social sciences.
He completed his master’s degree at the Max Weber Institute (MWI) for Sociology at Heidelberg University, where he received a research-oriented education with a strong theoretical focus. During his studies, from 2021 to 2023, he worked as a student research assistant at the Centre for Social Investment and Innovations (CSI), a research unit of the MWI. In this role, he contributed to the Social Impact Readiness Index (SIRI) project, which focuses on analyzing and fostering the societal impacts of academic research.
Since June 2023, Saadat Hussain has been employed as a research associate at the CSI. There, he works on the WiWiSoGe project, which examines questions of knowledge production, transfer, and utilization at the interface between science and society. This position combines empirical research with conceptual and methodological inquiry.
His research profile is characterized by two parallel focal areas that have been developing continuously since his time as a student. On the one hand, he focuses on knowledge transfer in the social sciences and humanities, particularly the institutional, epistemic, and normative conditions of societal impact. On the other hand, in the context of his doctoral research, he is working on integration of Max Weber’s methodology of science and the philosophy of Charles Sanders Peirce. The aim of this work is to systematically interlink epistemology, methodology, and practice in the social sciences.
Selected Publications
- Hussain, S. (2025). Sustainable Finance in Germany: Trends and Opportunities. In R. Calipha, D. M. DiSegni & S. Katav-Herz (Eds.), Sustainable Finance Regulation in the European Union (pp. 79-90). Springer.
- Hussain, S., Krippl, J., Mildenberger, G., & Schimpf, G.-C. (2025). Wissenschaft aktivieren. Wegweiser zu gesellschaftlichen Wirkungen. Ein Handbuch mit Fallbeispielen. Aufbauend auf dem Social Impact Readiness Index (SIRI). Universitätsbibliothek Heidelberg.
- Krippl, J., Hussain, S., & Mildenberger, G. (2024). Social Impact Readiness Index. Ein leitfadengestütztes Tool zur Identifizierung, Evaluation und Entwicklung sozialen Wirkungspotentials in der wissenschaftlichen Praxis. Universitätsbibliothek Heidelberg.
Current / Completed Research Projects
Curriculum Vitae
Table
Since 07/2024 | PhD (Max Weber Institute, Heidelberg University) Dissertation topic: Charles Peirce’s Pragmatism as a Logical Framework for Max Weber’s Research Program Supervisor: Prof. Dr. Thomas Schwinn |
Since 06/2023 | Research Associate (CSI) Project: WiWiSoGe, IFI |
11/2021 – 05/2023 | Research Assistant (CSI) Projects: SIRI, IFI |
2020 – 2022 | M.A. Sociology (Max Weber Institute, Heidelberg University) Master’s thesis: Max Weber and Intuitionism in Contemporary Consciousness Research: The Case of Francisco Varela’s Neurophenomenology |
2010 – 2014 | B.E. Mechanical Engineering (National University of Sciences and Technology, Islamabad, Pakistan) |