Dave Huitema

Prof. Dave Huitema is a Professor and Chairholder of the Public Administration and Policy Group at Wageningen University & Research, within the Department of Social Sciences. His work focuses on government roles in sustainability transformations, particularly in water management, climate change, and energy policy. He leads projects like ADAPT-LOCKIN (policy lock-ins), AquaConnect (circular water governance), and NEWAVE (global water governance innovation). Notable expertise includes policy dynamics, adaptive governance, and polycentric systems. Educated at Twente University (MA/PhD), he previously held professorships at Vrije Universiteit Amsterdam and Open Universiteit in environmental policy.

Research interests span policy entrepreneurship, learning processes in governance (e.g., citizen participation, evaluation), and enhancing societal impacts of sustainability initiatives. Current projects address water governance innovations, climate adaptation lock-ins, and transformative pathways. He teaches courses on sustainability transformations, governance, and policy design. Supervises PhD students researching river basin governance, circular water systems, and climate-biodiversity synergies. Active in collaborative networks like Co-Adapt and involved in global policy dialogues on climate resilience.

Labs/Teams: Coordinates the Public Administration and Policy Group, leading multidisciplinary teams in transformative governance research. Involved in EU-funded initiatives (NWO, Marie Sklodowska-Curie Actions) and international partnerships on water and climate policy. His work bridges academic research with practical policy tools like Nature-based Solutions and participatory decision-making frameworks.