Jouke van Dijk

Jouke van Dijk is a Professor of Regional Labour Market Analysis at the Department of Economic Geography, Faculty of Spatial Sciences, University of Groningen. He has held administrative roles, including Head of Department (2009–2022) and Vice-Dean (2002–2005). He serves on numerous boards, such as the Sociaal Economische Raad Noord-Nederland and Waddenacademie, and is a RSAI Fellow.

• Education: PhD in Regional Science (1986) from the University of Groningen.

Research Interests focus on labour market dynamics, migration, regional disparities, firm locational behavior, and environmental policy. His work bridges regional development and human capital interactions.

Publications span regional policy, cross-border commuting, and demographic transitions, with recent 2024–2025 articles in Education + Training and Journal of Adult & Continuing Education. Topics include graduate employability, training incentives, and infrastructure's role in regional equity.

Scientific Awards include the Hirotada Kohno Award (2022) and the Order of Orange Nassau (2022). He has advised governments, research councils (e.g., NWO, NSF), and international journals as an editor and reviewer.

Students: Supervised over 25 PhD candidates, including ongoing projects on entrepreneurial careers and Chinese urban growth. Completed projects address digital exclusion, creative industries, and cross-border mobility.

Labs/Teams: Affiliated with the Urban and Regional Studies Institute (University of Groningen), Research Centre for Education and the Labour Market (Maastricht), and the Netherlands Interdisciplinary Demographic Institute.