Thomas Vold

Thomas Vold serves as Associate Professor in the Department of Teacher Education and Outdoor Studies at the Norwegian School of Sport Sciences (NIH), where he has held academic positions since 2003. His primary focus is on outdoor education and nature guiding, with particular emphasis on relational knowledge frameworks and sociocultural dimensions of friluftsliv (Norwegian outdoor recreation culture).

Academic credentials include a Master's degree (2000) and PhD (2015), both obtained from NIH. His doctoral dissertation examined guided nature tours through the lens of relational knowledge among professional guides.

Research interests encompass multiple critical dimensions of outdoor studies:

• Relational competence in nature guiding practices
• Professional identity development in outdoor occupations
• Sociocultural perspectives on outdoor recreation traditions
• Historical evolution of friluftsliv in Scandinavian contexts
• Legal frameworks governing public access to natural spaces
• Management of outdoor recreational resources
• Didactic methodologies for outdoor education

Analysis of his publication record reveals increasing scholarly attention to crisis management in outdoor tourism, sustainable practices in outdoor education, and the theoretical-practical integration of guiding knowledge. His work consistently bridges academic research with professional application in wilderness settings.

Professor Vold has demonstrated institutional leadership through chairing the Forum for Outdoor Studies in Higher Education (2015-2019) and spearheading development of NIH's bachelor program in Outdoor Studies (launched 2018). His co-edited volume "Friluftsliv og guiding i natur" (2018) remains a foundational reference in the field, with his upcoming 2025 monograph expanding this framework.