Peter Bille Larsen

Peter Bille Larsen is a Senior Lecturer and researcher at the University of Geneva with extensive expertise at the intersection of environmental conservation and social equity. His work spans critical theory, environmental anthropology, and political ecology, with primary fieldwork conducted in the Peruvian Amazon, Vietnam, and through global-level organizations.

His research interests focus on heritage studies, environmental governance, international human rights standards, and sustainable development. As President of the Interface Commission, he promotes engaged anthropology and collaborative practice approaches. He chairs the Geneva Dialogues on Rights Fields within UNESCO's mandates as a member of the Swiss Commission for UNESCO and recently initiated the Geneva Heritage Lab to address global heritage dynamics.

Larsen's recent publications demonstrate a strong focus on the intersection of human rights and environmental governance, with particular attention to environmental defenders, heritage politics, and decolonial approaches to conservation. His work shows a clear trajectory toward rights-based approaches in heritage management and environmental governance, with increasing attention to the triple planetary crisis and the role of science in addressing it.

He has secured significant research funding from sources including the SNSF, Ernest Boninchi Foundation, and Geneva Science-Policy Interface for projects examining environmental civil society challenges, sub-regional environmental governance, and heritage-development intersections in Vietnam. His collaborative approach is evident in his extensive work with international organizations, NGOs, and community-based organizations.

Larsen leads the Geneva Heritage Lab and is deeply involved with the SEG Interface Commission, organizing collaborative research initiatives, dialogues, and Summer School programs. His work with EPFL on the anthropology of heritage and creativity demonstrates his commitment to interdisciplinary approaches to complex heritage challenges.