Harry Wels

Dr. Harry Wels is an Associate Professor at the Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam (VU), affiliated with multiple institutes including the Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities, Amsterdam Sustainability Institute, Network Institute, and Organization & Processes of Organizing in Society (OPOS). He holds a PhD in Anthropology from VU (2000) and has remained at the university since his early training in the 1980s. His research focuses on human-animal relations in organizational contexts, political economies of wildlife conservation in southern Africa, and diversity in South African higher education.

Teaching emphasizes organizational culture, qualitative methodologies, and processes of change. Ancillary roles include leadership in CERES Research School for Resource Studies and St. Internationale Samenwerking since 2013. His work contributes to UN SDGs related to sustainable communities and responsible consumption.

Research outputs include over 130 publications, with recent work exploring Bedouin camel ownership, postcolonial conservation narratives, and multispecies ethnography. He actively participates in projects like 'Engaged Scholarship against Climate Change' (2023–2027) and serves on editorial boards such as Zuid-Afrika (Journal). Supervised four PhD theses and contributes to initiatives like the African Ivory Route and Masebe Nature Reserve studies.

Labs/teams include collaborative networks in sustainability and organizational processes. Grants and activities highlight interdisciplinary engagement, including seed money grants for human-animal studies and thesis examinations in South African contexts.