Alexander Follmann

I am a human geographer working on sustainable economic & regional development in the context of global environmental change and globalization. My research foci include 1) peri-urban transformations in the Global South; 2) food systems and agri-food value chains, and 3) public participation in sustainability transitions and smart city initiatives. I do research in Kenya, India and Germany. I use mixed methods, including qualitative & quantitative social science methods, GIS & Remote Sensing.

Research Focus

In terms of content: urban and regional development, peri-urban change, human-environment relationships, political ecology, land use change, agriculture/bioeconomy, smart cities/information and communication technology (ICT), urban greenery, sustainability, participation

Regional: Germany (Cologne, Rhenish area), India, Kenya

Methodological : Qualitative and quantitative methods, remote sensing, discourse research

Academic education

2009, October – June 2015

Doctoral studies at the Institute of Geography, University of Cologne, Chair of Anthropogeography (focus on Economic Geography), Prof. Dr. Boris Brown

“Governing Riverscapes. Urban Environmental Change along the River Yamuna in Delhi, India” 

The dissertation is available from Franz Steiner Verlag .

2009, October – March 2010

Visiting PhD student at the School of Planning and Architecture (SPA), Delhi, India

2003, October – March 2009:

Diploma in geography at the University of Cologne, minor subjects: urban planning, transport science, economics, diploma thesis: “The revitalization of Cologne’s Rheinauhafen in planning and public discourse”

2006, September – April 2007:

Studies abroad at Simon Fraser University, Vancouver, Canada

Professional Activities

since March 2014:

Research Associate, Institute of Geography, University of Cologne

2013, September – February 2014:

Lecturer for special tasks, Department of Geography, University of Cologne

2010, April – July 2011:

Lecturer for special tasks, Department of Geography, University of Cologne

2009, April – September 2009:

Research Associate at Urban and Regional Planning Dr. Jansen GmbH, Cologne

2008, February – March 2009:

student assistant in urban and regional planning Dr. Jansen GmbH, Cologne

Awards / Grants

2. Winner Geoverbund ABC/J Young Academics Award 2017 (ABC/J Research Award 2017) for the doctoral thesis ‘Governing Riverscapes – Urban Environmental Change along the Yamuna in Delhi, India’

PhD scholarship holder of the German National Academic Foundation (April 2011 – August 2013)

International scholarship for a research stay in India as part of the “New Passage to India” program of the German Academic Exchange Service (DAAD) (2009-2010)DAAD – partial scholarship, Vancouver (2006-2007)

1st prize winner Cologne Prize 2009, University of Cologne for the diploma thesis “The revitalization of the Cologne Rheinauhafen in planning and public discourse”

2. Winner of the Dr. Prill Prize 2009, Promotional Prize for Geography from the Geography Society in Cologne eV for the diploma thesis “The revitalization of Cologne’s Rheinauhafen in planning and public discourse”

Organizations / Memberships

Society for Geography in Cologne eV (1st Chairman)

Working group South Asia in the German Society for Geography (member of the speaker team)

Association of Geographers at German Universities (VGDH)

European Association for South Asian Studies (EASAS) 

Mid-level representative at the Geographical Institute

Associate member of the SFB228 Future Rural Africa

Expert activities

Scientific expert opinions

acme; ASIA; challenges in sustainability; city; geoforum; Geographica Helvetica; Habitat International; Journal of Environmental Planning and Management; Journal of Rural Studies; Journal of Planning Literature; Journal of Urban Management; Country Use Policy; local environment; organizational studies; Remote Sensing, Location – Journal of Applied Geography; sustainability; urban geography

Further expert work

Selection committee of the German National Academic Foundation for selection seminars for advanced students (since 2018)

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