Martin J. Ossewaarde Sustainable Development Educator and Writer

Martin J. Ossewaarde (born 1965) has an MSc in economics from the Erasmus University of Rotterdam, the Netherlands, with a major in institutional economics and a minor in public administration. His first job in the Environment Ministry’s Division for Climate Change deepened his theoretical and practical knowledge not only of climate change but also of energy, waste, transport and urban policies, as well as the effectiveness of various public policy instruments. Subsequent jobs in the Netherlands Government Foresight Committees on Science & Technology raised his interest in innovations for sustainable development. In 1998, Martin moved to Bishkek, the capital of Kyrgyzstan, where he became involved in higher education as an education co-ordinator in a small NGO. From 2005, he taught at the American University of Central Asia (AUCA) for a decade. He designed and conducted several courses in the field of governance and development. His research interests include eco-cities and green economy. Martin established the Green Campus Movement in order to green AUCA’s culture in anticipation of the university’s move (in 2015) to its new, sustainable campus. Martin wants to be involved in awareness raising, teaching and training, and advising on sustainable development in the Netherlands or elsewhere.