JWM (Han) van Dijk

prof.dr.ir. JWM (Han) van Dijk is a Professor at the Sociology of Development and Change department within Wageningen University & Research. His expertise spans development sociology, law, politics, and Africa-focused studies. He holds a MSc in Tropical Forestry (Wageningen University), an M.A. in Anthropology (Utrecht University), and a PhD in Agricultural and Environmental Sciences (Wageningen University).

His research focuses on land tenure systems, pastoralism, natural resource governance, post-conflict land governance, climate adaptation, and health policy. Key projects include analyzing decentralized land governance in Uganda, Burundi, and South Sudan; vulnerability patterns in drylands/coastal zones; and strengthening Ghana's maternal/neonatal health systems. He also engages in smaller projects on food security, legal pluralism, and migration.

Teaching includes courses on politics and governance, natural hazards, research design, and African studies. He is a program leader overseeing major research initiatives and serves on the board of the Forest Stewardship Council's social/labor affairs division.