BIOGRAPHY
Edwin de Jong is Associate Professor and Programme Director at the Department of Cultural Anthropology and Development Studies, Radboud University. One of his recent publications, ‘Perceptions of Change’, encapsulates the focal point of his research and education interests. At the heart of his inquiry lies a fascination with the processes of change and the myriad ways people navigate, adapt to and anticipate crises, both past and impending. In other words, he delves into the intricate fabric of human responses to external pressures and disruptions within their environment, probing how local communities sculpt their everyday practices to confront or surmount these challenges. As such, he focusses on social-ecological interaction processes that affect local people’s livelihoods, wellbeing and control over land terrestrial and aquatic resources, using a mixed methods type of approach. He is currently (2021-2025), together with Prof. Bagus Takwin, heading the interdisciplinary programme ‘Resilient Indonesian Slums Envisioned (RISE)’, financed by Merian-NWO/Kemendikbud. To effectively address societal challenges and enhance students’ intrinsic motivation to learn, he has been awarded a Comenius Senior Fellowship (2024-2027) titled ‘Socially Engaged Learning: Active involvement and sustainable partnerships in higher education.