Prof. Dr. Edward Huijbens

Edward H. Huijbens, born in 1976, serves as Professor and Chair of the Cultural Geography research group at Wageningen University & Research, where he has established himself as a prominent voice in tourism studies and environmental geography. After completing his BSc in Geography at the University of Iceland and both his MA and PhD in Cultural Geography at Durham University, he built an impressive academic career spanning multiple institutions. His professional journey includes directing the Icelandic Tourism Research Centre (2006-2015), where he developed comprehensive research initiatives during Iceland's tourism boom, and serving as a professor at the University of Akureyri (2015-2019). His research portfolio encompasses spatial theory, regional development, landscape perceptions, and polar tourism, with a particular focus on the intersection of tourism and climate change. He has authored numerous scholarly publications, including the influential books "Tourism and the Anthropocene" (2016) and "Developing Earthly Attachments in the Anthropocene" (2021). Beyond academia, he maintains an active role in Icelandic politics as vice chairman of the Left Green party and has contributed to global education through his involvement with the Semester at Sea program. His current work at Wageningen University includes leading the MOOC on Tourism and Climate Change, where he advocates for transformative approaches to sustainable tourism development