prof. dr. B. (Bettina) van Hoven

Birthdate:        30 August 1972

Birthplace:       Bramsche (Germany)

Nationalities:   Dutch/ German

Marital Status: married (2 children: 2005, 2009)

Research

I am Aletta Jacobs Chair in 'Place, Social Change and Collaborative Research for Wellbeing and Justice'. I have a strong commitment to critical and feminist geography, interdisciplinary research, and societal impact. My research explores how place, identity, and well-being intersect, particularly for marginalized groups. I use participatory methods such as walking interviews, visual data collection, and community co-creation to bridge academia and society. By translating research into exhibitions, books, and events, I ensure findings are accessible and meaningful beyond academic circles.

My work addresses global challenges like disabilities, migration, aging, and environmental change through locally grounded studies. I collaborate with community organizations, creative industries, and vocational programs to integrate diverse perspectives and foster inclusion. I advocate for "slow science," emphasizing care, collaboration, and long-term engagement. This approach allows for deep, ethical research relationships and ensures that lived experiences shape knowledge production.

My teaching is rooted in experiential and project-based learning, encouraging students to connect theory with real-world challenges. As a leader, I support interdisciplinary collaboration and participatory research, amplifying underrepresented voices in academic and public discourse. I mentor early-career researchers and students, ensuring research is shared through public engagement and creative dissemination. My work fosters social change by making research more inclusive, accessible, and impactful.

 Education/qualification

In 1999 I obtained my PhD based on the research “Made in the GDR- the changing geographies of women in the post- socialist rural society in Mecklenburg-  Westpommerania”, University of Plymouth, UK.

However, my academic training also includes the study of Biology and Physical Geography . I studied at the University of Osnabrück in Germany and graduated at the University of Plymouth in the UK.

Past PhD supervision:

2022 Reza Ardekani Shaker. Encountering the Other: Everyday embodied Othering experiences of young Muslims in the Netherlands.

2022 Lili Gonzales Hernadez. Factors influencing household action on climate change.

2022 Rik Huizinga. Making home in forced displacement: young Syrian men navigating everyday geographies of migration, belonging and masculinities in the Netherlands.

2021 Laura Kapinga. A place for religion: a geographical perspective on young Muslims' experiences, changing religious identities and wellbeing.

2019 Anna Martini. Geographies of affect in places of death and disaster: Tohoku, Japan, after 3.11.

2018 Gwenda van der Vaart. Arts and resilience in a rural community: The value of arts-based community activities in resilience-building in Pingjum, northern Netherlands.

2015 Debbie Lager. Perspectives on ageing in place: Older adults' experiences of everyday life in urban neighbourhoods

2013 Elen-Maarja Trell. Rural Realities. Everyday places and practices of young people in rural Estonia

2006 Louise Meijering (Title: ‘Making a place of their own’) (Promotor: Prof. Paulus Huigen, University of Groningen)