Torben Birch-Thomsen
Professional Address: Institute of Geography, University of Copenhagen, Øster Voldgade 10, DK-1350 Copenhagen K, Tel: +45 35322500, Fax: +45 35322501
E-mail: tbt@geogr.ku.dk
Date of birth: 20.04.1958
Nationality: Danish
Occupation: Associate professor, Institute of Geography, University of Copenhagen
University degrees: 1988: MSc Geography, IGUC; 1994: PhD geography (tropical agriculture), IGUC
Employment record and special duties:
1996-97: Assistant Professor at Department of Geography and International Development Studies, Roskilde University Centre (RUC).
Since 1997: Associate Professor, IGUC.
Since 1998: Member in the DUCED SLUSE Board as University Manager, representing University of Copenhagen (Web: http://www.agsci.kvl.dk/sluse). From June-November 2002 appointed as Acting Director of SLUSE.
Since 1999: Member of the study-board at IGUC. From January 2002 appointed as vice-Head of study board.
Since 2000: Member of the board of Network for Agricultural Research for Development (NETARD/JUF; Web: http://www.juf.kvl.dk) representing University of Copenhagen.
Since 2002: Member of the Project Steering Committee (PSC) of the SACUDE SLUSE consortium, representing DUCED SLUSE in the committee.
· Extensive experience in undertaking fieldwork in the tropics: More than 25 missions to Tanzania, Zambia, Botswana, Swaziland, South Africa, Malaysia, Thailand (in total more than 20 month) Practical experience in farming system and land use analysis in general and with special reference to East and Southern African conditions.
· 18 years of teaching experience at university level - involving graduate and post graduate courses and supervision of BSc, MSc and PhD projects.
· Project management experiences and skills obtained from capacity building projects linked to universities in developing countries
Research interests and aims
Farming systems in the tropics, natural resource management, land use change, and livelihood strategies: Experience in assessment of environmental effects of land use intensification in relation to introduction of new technologies (with special focus on animal traction) into farming systems in the tropics, including evaluation of land resources and more generally natural resource management. Data on changes in land use over time, using remote sensing techniques, has been linked with studies of the natural resource management in order to improve the understanding of the livelihoods of rural communities.
Publications since 2000
Peer reviewed international papers
Mertz, O., Mohamad, M., Magid, J., Birch-Thomsen, T., Oksen (2000) “Collaboration on environmental research and education between universities in Denmark, Malaysia, Thailand and Southern Africa. Currents No.23/24, pp. 31-35.
McDonagh, J., Birch-Thomsen, T., Magid, J. (2001) Soil organic matter decline and compositional change associated with cereal cropping in Southern Tanzania. Land Degradation and Development, No. 12 pp.13-26.
Birch-Thomsen, T, P. Frederiksen, H.O. Sano (2001) A Livelihood Perspective on Natural Resource Management and Environmental Change in Semi-arid Tanzania. Economic Geography, Vol. 77 No. 2, pp. 48-66.
Neergaard, A. de, C. Saarnak, T. Hill, M. Khanyile, A. Martinez Berzosa, T. Birch-Thomsen (2005) Australian wattle species in the Drakensbeerg region of South Africa – an invasive alien or natural resource? Agricultural Systems No. 85/3, pp. 216-233.
Birch-Thomsen, T.; S. P. Kristensen (2005) Planning with complexity – how do we deal with stakeholder and spatial heterogeneity in land use planning. Danish Journal of Geography 105 (2), pp. 23-37.
Monographs
Gausset, Q., M. Whyte, T. Birch-Thomsen (eds) (2005) Beyond Territory and Scarcity: Aspects of Conflicts over Natural Resource Management. Nordic Africa Institute, Uppsala, 218 pages.
Proceedings
Birch-Thomsen, T, Buch-Hansen, M., Hill, T., Oksen, P., Magid, J. (2002) The role of universities in knowledge enhancement and dissemination for better natural resource management – the link between theory and practice. Chapter 7, pp. 73-86, in “Beyond the World Summit” – proceedings from the conference “Beyond the Summit – The role of universities in the search for sustainable futures” arranged by LUCED-I&UA as a pre-Summit Conference at Kasane in Botswana, August 2002.
Birch-Thomsen,T., T. Hill, C. Dolleris (2003) Impact of different land use policies on a rural community – a case study from South Africa. Proceedings of the International Conference on ‘Local Land Use Strategies in a Globalizing World: Shaping Sustainable Social and Natural Environments’ (eds. O. Mertz et al), Vol. 1, pp. 359-392.
Birch-Thomsen, T., O. Mertz, T. Hill (2003) University consortia on sustainable land use and natural ressource management. Abstract from conference proceedings, p.1, from IGU Conference in Durban 2002, Commission on Geographical Education (CGE) published on CD. Department of Geography, Texas A&M University, Texas, USA.
Traynor, C. H., T. Birch-Thomsen, T. Hill (2004) Developments and adjustments of the SLUSE Joint Field Course: Lessons Learnt in a Southern African Context. Proceedings of the International Conference on ‘Interdisciplinary Curriculum and Research Management in Sustainable Land Use and Natural Resource Management’ (Published on CD by TUCED), held in Bangkok 17-19 August.
Book chapters
Birch-Thomsen, T., Buch-Hansen, M., Hill, T., Oksen, P., Magid, J. (2004) Integrating Knowledge Systems to Further the Development of Sustainable Natural Resource Management. In Fincham, R; Georg, S & Nielsen, E.H., (eds) ‘Sustainable development and the University: New strategies for research, teaching and practice’. Brevitas CC, Howick, South Africa.
Hill, T.; T. Birch-Thomsen (2005) Introduction to SLUSE. Chapter 1, pp. 1-10, in Catherine Traynor (ed.) “The SLUSE model of natural resource management: From theory to practice through field-based training – experiences from southern Africa”. SACUDE-SLUSE, University of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, Pinetown, South Africa.
Hill, T.; T. Birch-Thomsen (2005) Theoretical background. Chaper 2, pp. 11-24, in Catherine Traynor (ed.) “The SLUSE model of natural resource management: From theory to practice through field-based training – experiences from southern Africa”. SACUDE-SLUSE, University of KwaZulu-Natal, South Africa, Pinetown, South Africa.
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