About

Assistant Professor | Politics & Governance of Sustainability Transitions

I am an Assistant Professor working at the Athena Institute of the VU University in Amsterdam. My research focuses on the politics and governance of sustainability transitions. In particular, I am interested in how we can better understand, govern and support transdisciplinary transition experiments and inclusive (policy) innovation, especially in the context of (EU) agri-food systems. Together with colleagues, we have authored publications in international peer-reviewed journals such as Research Policy, Sustainability Science, Agricultural Systems, and Environmental Innovation & Societal Transitions, as well as scientific and policy reports for the European Commission (DG Research and Innovation).

In addition to my work at the VU, I work at the Department of Integrated Environmental Policy Analysis of the Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency (PBL), where we work on the role of reflexive evaluations and transformative governance.

I have been working on (managing) several (EU-funded) projects, and as a teacher I am involved in courses and thesis supervision of BSc and MSc students as well as PhD candidates.

Please feel free to contact me for collaborations or internships: k.p.w.kok@vu.nl

Academic background:

  • 2022: PhD in Transition Studies (VU University Amsterdam)
  • 2018: MSc Political Sciences (cum laude, University of Amsterdam)
  • 2017: MSc Physics (cum laude, University of Amsterdam | Harvard University)
  • 2015: BSc Natural and Social Sciences (cum laude, University of Amsterdam)

Outside academia…

I play classical accordion. I enjoy hiking in nature and (playing) theatre!