John Knight

John Knight is an Associate Professor in the Department of Anthropology and Ethnomusicology at Queen's University Belfast. He holds a doctorate from the London School of Economics (LSE) focusing on depopulation and social change in Japanese mountain villages. His academic career includes roles as a Junior Research Fellow in Modern Japanese Studies at Wadham College Oxford (1992-1995) and a Research Fellow at the International Institute for Asian Studies, University of Leiden (1996-1999).

His research primarily explores human-animal relations, including hunting, wildlife pests, and Japanese monkey parks. He has conducted extensive fieldwork in rural Japan on topics such as migration, forestry, and tourism. Knight teaches modules on globalization, key debates in anthropology, and human-animal relations at both undergraduate and postgraduate levels.

His most recent work addresses environmental activity gaps in depopulated rural areas and the cultural dimensions of wildlife management. Notable awards include the Japan Festival Prize (1998) and the Canon Foundation Endowment Prize (1994). He has supervised six research students and actively participates in international conferences, including panels on depopulation and multispecies ethnography.

Media contributions include an extended interview with ÉKRITS (2020) discussing multispecies ethnography. His research also intersects with public lectures and editorial activities, reflecting his commitment to bridging academic and public discourse on environmental and cultural issues.