Ruben Zondervan

Ruben Zondervan is the Executive Director of the Earth System Governance Project. He is based at the International Project Office hosted by Lund University, Sweden.

Ruben Zondervan is a specialist in international social science research management with experience in science communication, international network development, fundraising, strategic planning, office management, and policy advisory. He studied political science, modern history, law, and economics in Freiburg im Breisgau and political sciences in Potsdam, and holds a degree in environment & resource management from the VU University Amsterdam. Prior to his current position, he worked with the International Human Dimensions Programme on Global Environmental Change (IHDP), the University Oldenburg, the VU University Amsterdam, the Royal Netherlands Embassy in Riga, and at the Potsdam Institute for Climate Impact Research and also gained work experience as planner and consultant in industry.

Currently, Ruben Zondervan also serves as academic co-director of the Open Society Foundations’ Higher Education Support Program on Governance of Global Environmental Change; member of the Scientific Steering Committee for the International Environmental Governance Architecture Research Group; external expert to the EU TEMPUS Project on Environmental Governance for Environmental Curricula; member of the Katerva scalability panel, and research fellow of the Global Governance Project. Previous appointments included among others the European Science Foundation’s RESCUE Forward Look, working group on Interdisciplinary Collaboration, and the International Advisory Group on the Bonn Nexus 2011 Conference.