Ghent Metropolitan Area
Thomas Block works as professor 'Sustainability and governance' at the Centre for Sustainability Studies (CDO - Centrum voor Duurzaamheidsonderzoek), attached to the Department of Political Sciences at Ghent University. He has a PhD in Political Sciences and a Master degree in Sociology (magna cum laude). The identity of his research approach lies in the use of a (nuanced) constructivist epistemology, a complexity-acknowledging perspective, an interpretative policy analysis framework, a participative research design, and in the framing of sustainability issues as ‘political’ matter. His research focus is on complex decision-making and transition governance, education on wicked sustainability issues, scenarios and future studies, sustainable cities and urban projects. He is/was the main promotor of the International Thematic Network SEDwise 'Sustainability Education – Teaching and learning in the face of wicked socio-ecological problems' (ITN 2015-2022), the consortium 'Public Pedagogy and Sustainability Challenges' (FWO 2017-2023), the Interdisciplinary Consortium of the Urban Academy (IDC-BOF 2020-2025) and several other networks. Thomas Block is/was also involved in several inter-university research consortia: ‘Transitions for Sustainable Development’ (TRADO 2012-2017), Climate Change and Development Cooperation (KLIMOS 2015-2019), ‘Innovation Governance’ (SBV 2016-2020), PUReSmart 'PolyUrethane Recycling towards a smart Circular Economy' (EU-H2020 2019-2022), SuPER-W 'Resource, Product and Energy Recovery from Wastewater' (EU-Marie Curie ITN 2016-2020), 'Science education for action and engagement towards sustainability' (SEAS, H2020-SWAFS 2019-2022), interdisciplinary ZAP-consortium 'Urban Waste and Circular Economy' (UGent, since 2018), etc. Amongst many other activities, he is/was an active member of the governing board Transitions UGent, the jury concerning the Flemish Fund for Urban Regeneration, member of STRN (Sustainability Transitions Research Network), member of the International Sustainable Campus Network (ISCN), the jury of the VDK Sustainability Award, the jury of the FUTUREproof Award, the Support Team concerning the Ghent District Budget, etc. From 2019 to 2023, Thomas Block was Special Commissioner to integrate sustainability more strongly into UGent curricula. At the moment, he is lecturer of 3 UGent courses: ‘Politics of sustainability’, 'Sustainable Cities' and the university-wide elective course 'Sustainability Thinking'. Thomas Block is also co-initiator and promotor of the Ghent 'Stadsacademie'.