Sander Hölsgens

Sander Hölsgens is an Assistant Professor at Leiden University's Leiden Institute of Cultural Anthropology and Development Sociology, affiliated with the Social and Behavioural Sciences faculty. He holds a PhD from University College London (UCL) and specializes in practice-led visual ethnography, focusing on skateboarding's sociocultural dimensions. His research explores skateboarding's impact on urban spaces, sensory experiences of movement, and subcultural pedagogies.

Key educational background: PhD in Anthropology (UCL), prior academic training in cultural studies. His work bridges anthropology, urban studies, and sensory studies, emphasizing embodied knowledge and public space activism.

Research interests include skateboarding's role in shaping urban environments, the sensory dimensions of skate culture, and skateboarding's intersections with sportification, activism, and inclusive education. He has published two major books: Skateboarding and the Senses (2024, co-authored with Brian Glenney) and Skate/worlds (2024, co-authored with Adelina Ong). These works analyze skateboarding's sensory pedagogy, socio-emotional resilience, and its transformative potential in education and urban policy.

Media engagements include commentary on skateboarding's cultural shifts (Leidsch Dagblad, De Morgen) and public lectures on skate culture's sociological significance. His writing spans academic journals, edited volumes, and accessible blogs discussing technical pedagogy and experimental ethnographic methods.