Prof. dr. Hens Runhaar

Research projects at Utrecht University

As from 2025: Supervisor Postdoctoral researcher Matthijs Mouthaan: The politics of EU sustainable agricultural and food policies (with dr. Koen Beumer)

As from 2025: Promotor of PhD student Emma Windey: Sturen op de transformatie naar multifunctioneel grasland (co-promotors: dr. Tina Venema and dr. Agnes van den Pol-van Dasselaar)

Since 2024: Promotor of PhD student Sophie van Doorm: Levering new collaborations for circular agriculture missions – a multilevel ecosystem approach (co-promotors: dr. Iris Wanzenböck and dr. Matthijs Janssen)

2019-2024: Promotor of PhD student Jacob Smessaert: Practising democracy in agrifood collectives: Building political communities in-against-and-beyond capitalism and the state (PI and main promotor: dr. Giuseppe Feola). Graduation: 13 September 2024.

2023-2024: Project leader The Water Framework Directive in the Netherlands after 2027: policy-scientific and legal opportunities for enhanced effectiveness, funded by STOWA, in collaboration with Charlotte Offringa, Tessa Rotscheid, dr. Susanne Wuijts (RIVM), Prof. Marleen van Rijswick (current project leader), Prof. Frank Groothuijse and dr. Carel Dieperink

2020-2024: Researcher in the project Networks for nature-inclusive agriculture and construction, in collaboration with Het Groene Brein, dr. Maarten Punt, dr. Maryse Chappin, dr. Helen Toxopeus, Cathy de Jong M.Sc. and dr. Godelieve Spaans

2019-2024: Promotor of PhD student Laura van Oers: Unlearning unsustainability. Facilitating phase-out in sustainability transitions in the Dutch food system (PI and main promotor: dr. Giuseppe Feola; other promotor Prof. Ellen Moors). Graduation: 26 June 2024

2019-2024: Promotor of PhD student Guilherme Pavarini RajIt is about power! Unveiling power and empowerment in grassroots agri-food initiatives (PI and main promotor: dr. Giuseppe Feola). Graduation: 22 May 2024

2018-2024: Promotor of PhD student Serge Piabuo Mandiefe: Developing community forest enterprises as social enterprises: empirical evidence from Cameroon (at WUR, with dr. Verina Ingram and dr. Marjanke Hoogstra). Graduation 2 April 2024

As from 2023: Promotor of Nataliia Pustilnik: Innovative biodiversity for climate resilient dairy grasslands and researcher in the DivGrass project, in collaboration with Prof. Merel Soons

As from 2023: Promotor of PhD student Charlotte Offringa: Improving freshwater quality in the Netherlands: policy and governance (co-promotors: dr. Susanne Wuijts (RIVM) and dr. Carel Dieperink) as part of the The Water Framework Directive in the Netherlands after 2027 project (see below)

As from 2023: Promotor of PhD student Laura Bello Cartagena: Exploring and enhancing the power of social organisation in agroecological food system transformation (co-promotors: dr. Heitor Mancini Teixeira and dr. Frank van Laerhoven)

2021-2022: Project leader The Water Framework Directive in the Netherlands after 2027: taking stock and looking forward, commissioned by STOWA, in collaboration with dr. Susanne Wuijts (RIVM), Prof. Marleen van Rijswick and Prof. Peter Driessen

Since 2021: Promotor of PhD student Frits Kremer: Institutionalisation of sustainability standards in Dutch retail (second promotor: Prof. Frank de Bakker, IÉSEG School of Management, co-promotors: dr. Christine Moser, Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam and dr. Herman Lelieveldt, University College Roosevelt)

Since 2021: Promotor of PhD student Katharina Rochell: Nature-based solutions in African urban contexts: assessing the potential for enhancing resilience (with Prof. Harriet Bulkeley)

2017-2021: Co-promotor of PhD student Hade Dorst: Nature-based solutions for sustainable urban development. Conditions for sustainable urban transitions (with Prof. Rob Raven and dr. Sander van der Jagt). Graduation 28 April 2021

2017-2021: Supervisor Postdoctoral Researcher Sander van der Jagt: NATURVATION NATure-based Urban innoVATION SCC-03-2016: New governance, business, financing models and economic impact assessment tools for sustainable cities with nature-based solutions (with Prof. Rob Raven)

2016-2021: Promotor of PhD student Cora van Oosten: Landscape governance: from analysing challenges to capaciting stakeholders (at WUR with Prof. Bas Arts). Graduation: 9 June 2021

Since 2020: Promotor of PhD student Merijn Moens: Big data in ecology: pollinators, plants and their interaction (first promotor: Prof. Koos Biesmeijer, Leiden University and Naturalis and dr. Leon Marshall, Université Libre de Bruxelles and Naturalis)

2019-2020: Project leader Innovation System Analysis 'Nature-inclusive dairy farming', commissioned by the Ministry of Agriculture and RVO, in collaboration with Prof. Marko Hekkert, dr. Dorith Vermunt and dr. Niko Wojtynia. See https://youtu.be/yIH40VS5y3o for a film with the main results and https://youtu.be/na65EZKIn7w for a summary

2017-2020: Supervisor Postdoctoral Researcher dr. Arjan Wardekker: CoCliServ: co-creating climate services

2013-2018: Co-promotor of PhD student Didi van Doren: Accelerating the transition to low-carbon cities. Strategies for upscaling local initiatives. Promotor: Prof. Peter Driessen, co-promotor: dr. Mendel Giezen. Graduation 17 January 2018

2011-2018: Co-promotor of PhD student Wanda van Enst: Science-policy interfaces for the Wadden Sea. Promotor: Prof. Peter Driessen. Graduation 24 January 2018

2015-2018: Coordinator of the Working Group on Environmental Policy Integration under the umbrella of the Earth System Governance Network Working Group on Conceptual Foundations (in cooperation with Prof. Christine Wamsler, Prof. James Meadowcroft and Prof. Peter Driessen)

Since 2016: Promotor of PhD student Lyda Dik: Professionalisation of farmer collectives for more effective agri-environment schemes (at WUR, with Prof. Katrien Termeer).

2008-2016: Co-promotor of PhD student Arend Kolhoff: Effective environmental assessment systems in developing countries (part-time project, partly funded by his employer, the Netherlands Commission for Environmental Assessment). Promotor: Prof. Peter Driessen. Graduation: 14 December 2016

2010-2014: Co-promotor of PhD student Caroline Uittenbroek: Integrating adaptation to climate change in urban planning. Promotors: Prof. Willem Salet (UvA), Prof. Tejo Spit (UU). Graduation: 28 November 2014

2010-2014: Co-promotor of PhD student Heleen Mees: Public and private responsibilities for adapting to climate change. Promotor: Prof. Peter Driessen. Graduation: 31 October 2014

2014: Project leader Public and/or private responsibilities for Climate adaptation (commissioned by the Knowledge for Climate research programme and the Dutch Environmental Assessment Agency) in co-operation with dr. Heleen Mees and dr. Caroline Uittenbroek and with Prof. Marleen van Rijswick and dr. Herman Kasper Gilissen from the Law faculty from Utrecht University

2009-2013: Co-promotor of PhD student Miriam Weber: Analysing and evaluating shifts in noise governance. Promotor: Prof. Peter Driessen. Graduation: 18 December 2013

2013-2015: Comparison of the functioning and performance of the Dutch and Danish systems for environmental assessment, with dr. Frank van Laerhoven and in cooperation with Prof. Matt Cashmore and dr. Ivar Lyhne from Aalborg University.

2011-2012: Comparison of the functioning and performance of the Dutch and UK systems for environmental assessment, in cooperation with Prof. Thomas Fischer from the University of Liverpool and Prof. Jos Arts from the Rijksuniversiteit Groningen

2011: Project leader Evaluation of 25 years of EIA in the Netherlands (commissioned by the Ministry of Infrastructure and the Environment, in co-operation with Prof. Jos Arts from Rijksuniversiteit Groningen)

2010: Member of the research team in the ‘Area based implementation of the Nitrates Directive’ project (commissioned by the Ministry of Agriculture, Nature and Food Safety) in co-operation with Alterra Wageningen and the Law faculty from Utrecht University

2008: Project leader Towards integration and differentiation in environmental health-risk policy approaches, an international quick-scan of various national approaches to environmental health-risk (commissioned by the Dutch Environmental Assessment Agency)

Credit: Kristel Runhaar