Prof.dr. (max) M.n. Spoor

Biography

Max Spoor is Professor of Development Studies, and the Chair of the Research Programme Political Economy of Resources, Environment and Population (PER), which includes two thematic areas: Agrarian, Food and Environmental Studies (AFES), and Critical Research in Social Policy (CRISP). His research is related to rural and environmental issues, such as land grabbing, access to water resources, poverty, and inequality, and social exclusion. This research is geographically focused on Asian transitional economies such as China, Vietnam and the countries in Central and Eastern Europe (in particular former Soviet Central Asia), while he continues to do research in Latin America and the Caribbean (in particular Cuba and Nicaragua). Currently his work focuses on the following research projects: 1) Land Grabbing in Eastern Europe and the CIS, collaborating in the ERC Starting Grant that was won by Dr. Oane Visser (and with ISS-PhD Student Natalia Mamonova). 2) Quality of Life and Social Exclusion in Rural Central and Eastern Europe (together with ISS-Postdoc Luca Tasciotti; and in cooperation with UNDP Bratislava office, with which the 2011 Regional Human Development Report "Beyond Transition: Towards Inclusive Societies" was written). 3) Small-scale Cotton Producers and Livelihood Change in Xinjiang, China (with Prof. Shi Xiaoping of NJAU; Dr. Murat Arsel, ISS; and ISS-PhD student Rao Fangping; based on 2007-2012 CEP Grant from the Royal Dutch Academy of Arts and Sciences, KNAW). He is the Chair of the International Advisory Committee for a large research project entited NEBE ("Nationalization of Extractive Industries: Conflict and Cooperation in Bolivia and Ecuador"), financed by NWO/CoCoon (2011-2017); and is participating in another large research project MOSAIC ("Climate Change mitigation policies, land grabbing and conflict in fragile states: understanding intersections, exploring transformations in Myanmar and Cambodia"), also financed by NWO/CoCoon (2014-2017). See for further information about the Research Programme "Political Economy of Resources, Environment and Population" (PER) Max Spoor is Professor of Development Studies, and the Chair of the Research Programme Political Economy of Resources, Environment and Population (PER), which includes two thematic areas: Agrarian, Food and Environmental Studies (AFES), and Critical Research in Social Policy (CRISP). His research is related to rural and environmental issues, such as land grabbing, access to water resources, poverty, and inequality, and social exclusion. This research is geographically focused on Asian transitional economies such as China, Vietnam and the countries in Central and Eastern Europe (in particular former Soviet Central Asia), while he continues to do research in Latin America and the Caribbean (in particular Cuba and Nicaragua). Currently his work focuses on the following research projects: 1) Land Grabbing in Eastern Europe and the CIS, collaborating in the ERC Starting Grant that was won by Dr. Oane Visser (and with ISS-PhD Student Natalia Mamonova). 2) Quality of Life and Social Exclusion in Rural Central and Eastern Europe (together with ISS-Postdoc Luca Tasciotti; and in cooperation with UNDP Bratislava office, with which the 2011 Regional Human Development Report "Beyond Transition: Towards Inclusive Societies" was written). 3) Small-scale Cotton Producers and Livelihood Change in Xinjiang, China (with Prof. Shi Xiaoping of NJAU; Dr. Murat Arsel, ISS; and ISS-PhD student Rao Fangping; based on 2007-2012 CEP Grant from the Royal Dutch Academy of Arts and Sciences, KNAW). He is the Chair of the International Advisory Committee for a large research project entited NEBE ("Nationalization of Extractive Industries: Conflict and Cooperation in Bolivia and Ecuador"), financed by NWO/CoCoon (2011-2017); and is participating in another large research project MOSAIC ("Climate Change mitigation policies, land grabbing and conflict in fragile states: understanding intersections, exploring transformations in Myanmar and Cambodia"), also financed by NWO/CoCoon (2014-2017). See for further information about the Research Programme "Political Economy of Resources, Environment and Population" (PER)

Research Interest

Social Studies