Curriculum Vitae

Peter Oksen 

Education:      Ph.D. in International Development Studies, Roskilde University 2001, M.Sc. and B.Sc. in Human Geography, University of Copenhagen 1993.

Present occupation:        Associate Professor at International Development Studies (IDS), Roskilde University.

Languages:                                     Speaking            Reading              Writing

Danish:                                           Mother tongue

English:                                            Very good         Very good         Very good

French:                                             Very Good        Very Good             good

German:                                                  Good                 Good                  Poor

Key words:    Natural Resource Management, Land Use Planning, Environmental Management, Development studies, Climate Change, EIA & SIA, Socio-Economic Rural Studies, GIS & Remote Sensing, Institutional capacity building & HRD, Teaching and Training.

Key qualifications

Major interest and experience are within environment and development in tropical rural areas. This includes land-use policy and system analysis, land tenure analysis, land use planning, environmental management, climate change, and EIA. In particular work has been done on smallholder farming systems, agro-forestry, plantation, and shifting cultivation, as well as agro-pastoral smallholder farming systems and animal husbandry in African environments. In recent years emphasis has been on interdisciplinary research and teaching, and development of methods for combining social- and natural science to arrive at a more comprehensive understanding of rural livelihoods and environmental management and change. As a trained geographer, Peter Oksen is straddling the divide between science and social science, and applies methods and approaches from both traditions (socio-economic and political studies, GIS and remote sensing analysis, and environmental assessment). Recent research is concerned with climate change impact on socio-economic development in Vietnam, local tenure arrangements and land reform in Northern Thailand, and land allocation programs and local resource management in Lao PDR.

Tools include semi-structured interviews, questionnaires, participatory learning and action methods (PLA and PRA), and design and execution of household and village surveys and creation and management of databases in relation hereto. Experience in Remote Sensing and GIS (Geographical Information Systems) including digital processing and interpretation of satellite images. In particular GIS has been used as a versatile tool for combining and integrating socio-economic, bio-physical, and remote sensing data.

Experience in management and administration of projects, research programs, and cooperation with international partners, including conference planning.

Extensive teaching experience in research related subjects, including fieldwork methods, on all levels in the university system from 1. semester to Ph.D. supervision and assessment. Vast experience in group supervision, class-room seminars, and lectures with 300+ audiences.

Experience is gained from Thailand, Lao PDR, Malaysia, Cambodia, Philippines, Niger, Burkina Faso, and South Africa. Peter Oksen has been coordinator and lead-writer on an EU ASIA-LINK application and Project Head of an EU ASEM-DUO program with AIT, Bangkok.

Professional experience

2008-   Head of the Danish researcher team involved in the Danida funded research programme "Assessing effects of and responses to climate change on environment and socio-economic development in Mid- Central Vietnam" in cooperation with Vietnamese Academy of Science and Technology, Institute of Geography, Hanoi.

2005-   Member of the board of DDRN (Danish Development Research Network), which has as objective to bridge the divide between environment and development research and Danida development policies and initiatives. Funded by Danida.

2005    Visiting professor at Asian Institute of Technology (AIT), Bangkok at the School of Environment,  Resources and Development (SERD). Duration 5 weeks. Financed by the EU program ASEM-DUO.

2004-2005  Long-term Technical Advisor in Lao PDR at the DANIDA financed USEPAM project (University Support to Environmental Planning and Management in Cambodia, Lao PDR, Vietnam). Duration 18 months. Responsible for coordination and execution of syllabus and curriculum building as well as research activities and institutional capacity building in relation to the creation of a new B.Sc. program in interdisciplinary environment and development studies at the newly established Centre for Environment and Development Studies (CEDS) at the National University of Laos (NUOL).

2003-   Head of the research group "Interfaces of Development: Global Challenges, Local Complexities" at International Development Studies (IDS), Roskilde University

2003-   Associate Professor at International Development Studies, Roskilde University

2002-2008  Team leader for the USEPAM project at IDS

1998-2003  Assistant Professor at the SLUSE program (Danish University Consortium on Sustainable Land Use and Natural Resource Management) at International Development Studies (IDS), Roskilde University. Duties include planning, co-ordination, and execution of SLUSE education activities at IDS. The aim of SLUSE is to provide master students with an interdisciplinary approach to natural resource management in developing countries. This is done in co-operation with Copenhagen University and the Royal Veterinary and Agricultural University through interdisciplinary problem-oriented group work including a field-course in Thailand and Malaysia. Initially financed by DANCED (now Danida).

1995-98   Research fellow at the Ph.D. programme Political and Cultural Institutions in Develop­ment at International Development Studies (IU) at Roskilde University. Ph.D. project title: "Cattle, Conflict and Change: Animal Husbandry and Fulani - Farmer interactions in Boulgou Province, Burkina Faso." Focus of the research was on the local natural resource management and changes herein induced by population growth and rapid agricultural expansion. The research was based on 5 months of fieldwork in the region, and was carried out in co-operation with SEREIN (Sahel-Sudan Environmental Research Initiative). Ph.D degree obtained May 2001.

1993-94   Employed by Krüger Consult as assistant geographer at Projet Danois, Zinder, Niger (5 months). Duties included:

   - Evaluation of the agricultural and environmental related project activities.

   - Planning of the last phase of these activities (Volet Micro-Réalisation).

   - Preparation and execution of a socio-economic survey at a village women irrigation scheme.

   - Elaboration of a study of the regional experience with natural resource management projects and farmer participation.

   - Elaboration of quarterly reports.

1993    M.Sc. in human geography from Copenhagen University. Thesis on natural resource management and survival strategies in a village in the South-eastern Niger. The natural resources, their ecology, and their uses were described, and served as a basis for an analysis of the local land-use systems and changes herein in response to environmental and climatic changes. Land tenure issues and pastoral systems were also included.

1993    Part-time job at the Institute of Geography, University of Copenhagen doing geometrical rectification of satellite images.

1991-92   Part-time employed in DARUDEC (Danish Rural Development Consultants; an affiliate of Kampsax A/S and Haldor Topsøe A/S). Duties included registration and correspondence concerning project acquisition (mostly EU, World Bank, ADB, and AfDB), establishment and updating of an acquisition-database, assisting in proposal-making, and miscellaneous administrative tasks.

1986    Commencement of the study of human geography (kulturgeografi) at the Institute of Geography, University of Copenhagen.

1986    Completion of 1. year for the bachelor degree in economics and science at the Copenhagen School of Economics and Business Administration (CBS).

1985-91   During the studies several part-time jobs have given an all-round experience. They include: Agricultural labourer, assisting electrician in an electricity company, hotel receptionist, chauffeur in a courier firm, and postal worker.

1984-85   Volunteer in Kibbutz Ga'ash, Israel. Work primarily associated with agriculture, especially tending and milking of diary cattle. Daily responsible for milking of 300 cows.

1984    Graduate student in mathematics and physics from Ribe Katedralskole.

1981    Completion of primary school from Skærbæk Privatskole.

Selected assignments

Vietnam 2008

            Teamleader on a mission to formulate a three-year research project titled: "Assessing effects of and responses to climate change on environmental conditions and socio-economic development in Coastal Central Vietnam" in cooperation with Vietnamese Academy of Science and Technology, Institute of Geography. Funded by Danida.

Vietnam 2008

            Teacher at "Kultur Studier" in Hoi An. Kultur Studier is a private Norwegian enterprise offering M.Sc. courses to international students. Subject of the course was development issues in SE Asia.

Cambodia 2005

            Mission with the aim to identify research and capacity building opportunities under the DANIDA/DFID Natural Resource Management and Livelihoods Programme. In cooperation with Asian Institute of Technology (AIT) Bangkok and Royal University of Phnom Penh (RUPP).

Lao PDR 2004-05

            Technical assistance to the Danida funded USEPAM project (University Support to Environmental Planning and Management in Cambodia, Lao PDR, Vietnam) at CEDS (Centre for Environment and Development Studies) National University of Laos (NUOL). Major responsibility is to assist NUOL in creating a new interdisciplinary B.Sc. and later on M.Sc. within environmental science and management. Besides syllabus and curriculum development a major task is to create an active research component at the newly established CEDS, that may both strengthen the research capacity at the centre as well as support the curriculum.

Thailand 2003, 2004

            Preparation and execution of the Khun Samun Interdisciplinary Research Project, Nan Province. The Project is undertaken in cooperation with the Chiang Mai and Maejo Universities, Thailand. The project is focussed on the environmental and socio-economic impacts of the establishment of a new National Park in the area. GIS and remote sensing are central tools in this research.

South Africa, 2002

            Fieldwork in Kwazulu-Natal with the objective of investigating land reform and tenure related issues in smallholder farming systems in the former homelands. In collaboration with KwaZulu-Natal Department of Agriculture & Environmental Affairs, University of Natal, Pietermaritzburg Campus and University of Durban Westville.

Laos PDR, 2001 and 2002

            Missions with the aim of making feasibility studies of a new B.Sc. program at National University of Laos, planning of research activities, and preparation of the project document.

Thailand 2001 and 2002

            Fieldwork for the "Song Watershed Interdisciplinary Research project". Project concerned with changed land use and deforestation as a result of various socio-economic and bio-physical processes. The research was organised as an interdisciplinary project with participation of 18 researchers from Thailand, Malaysia and Denmark with various professional background.

Sarawak, Malaysia 2000 and 2001

            Invited teacher at the UNIMAS (University Malaysia Sarawak) M.Sc. program "Land use and water resource Management". Specifically involved in a course on Land Use and Natural Resource Management.

Thailand 1999, 2000, 2001 and 2002

            Missions with the aim of preparing and executing SLUSE student Fieldcourses in Thailand and preparation and planning of interdisciplinary research in the Mae Yom River Basin, Phrae Province, Northern Thailand on sustainable integrated watershed management. In co-operation with Kasetsart Univ, Bangkok, Chiang Mai and Maejo Universities., Chiang Mai

Sabah, Malaysia 1999

            Mission in relation to preparation of research project in Upper Liwagu River Basin, Sabah on Integrated Watershed Management and conflicting land use. In co-operation with UNIMAS, (University of Malaysia Sarawak)

Sarawak/Sabah, Malaysia 1998

            Responsible teacher on a field-course involving Danish and Malaysian students. In co-operation with University Malaysia Sarawak (Unimas) the students were exposed to field-study methods and related problems through problem-oriented group work. The focus was on various aspects of natural resource management including conservation.

Burkina Faso 1996-97

            Fieldwork related to Ph.D. research. Focus on changing natural resource management and settlement pattern among the Fulani and the expansion of the agricultural areas. Repeated semi-structured interviews conducted with members of three Fulani settlements and questionnaire survey executed with 100 households in two villages. Satellite image and aerial photo interpretation in combination with GPS were important tools. Funded by Danida.

Paris 1996

            Visiting researcher at Université Paris VII, Laboratoire Tiers Monde.

Burkina Faso 1995

            Fieldwork related to Ph.D. research. Preliminary survey and interviews in 8 villages on local natural resource use and interactions between animal husbandry and crop farming. Funded by RUC and Frimodts Fond.

Paris 1993

            Visiting student at ORSTOM (Office de la Recherche Scientifique et Technique Outre-Mer), Paris.

Niger 1992

            Fieldwork in a small village in the South-eastern Niger. Three months were spent in the village, which holds around 40 families. The work consisted primarily of interviews concerning land-use systems and natural resource management. The fieldwork was arranged as part of a feasibility study through a co-operation between University of Copenhagen, Krüger Consult, and Danida, and served as basis for the thesis for the masters degree.

Philippines 1990

            Fieldwork in Northern Mindanao, Philippines. The object of the study was the small-farmers adoption of hedgerows as a measure against soil-erosion in the highlands of Mindanao. The study was based on interviews and included both technical and socio-economic factors. The fieldwork was arranged in co-operation with IRRI (Interna­tional Rice Research Institute), Los Baños, Philippines.

Malaysia 1990

            Fieldwork in a Felda scheme and in a small village in Malaysia. The study concerned oilpalm-plantations in a Felda scheme, the use of agro-forestry in a traditional land-use system, and the use of shifting cultivation by the ethnic group Orang Asli in the rainforests of Peninsular Malaysia. The study included both technical and socio-economic aspects of the land-use systems, and was based on interviews. The fieldwork was arranged in a co-operation between Felda (Federal Land Development Authority, Malaysia) and Geographical Inst., Univ. of Copenhagen.

Turkey 1989

            Fieldwork in a small village in Western Turkey. The object of the study was to make a technical and socio-economic description of a traditional land-use system in the Western Turkey. The study was based on interviews.