I am Associate Professor in Human Security and Anthropology at School of Culture and Society, Aarhus University. My primary research interests’ center on issues of state formation, sovereignty, autonomy, citizenship, agrarian expansion and climate politics in frontier settings. In particular I investigate state-society dynamics in borderland regions of Southeast Asia, Africa and Europe. Within this research frame, I have been dealing with different transnational processes such as illicit cross-border trade, labour migration, land grabs and biosecurity and other kinds of cross-border movements and issues. Especially the anthropology of borderlands and borders is central to my analysis of the different practices and strategies taking place along international borders. This approach show how seemingly marginal populations, such as many border people, are shaped in national and transnational dialogues.

My studies are based on extended fieldwork in both Indonesia, Malaysia, Tanzania and Denmark and archival studies in British and Dutch archives. I have 20 years research experience on issues of state formation in Southeast Asia alone including a total of 40 month of fieldwork in the region. Additional experience includes international research networking, organization of workshops, internships within international development NGOs and public education and supervision at institutions of higher learning in Denmark, Indonesia, Malaysia and Tanzania (Full CV).

In 2014 I initiated the Skagen School a scholarly network of international researchers that meet and discuss land politics, resource frontiers and border processes on a global scale.

For aditional information please visit my university webpage and project webpages Fencing the Feral and RISEZAsia or the Human Security Community site.