Dr. Carsten Smith Hall

Biography

Professor Carsten Smith-Hall is a global leader in environmental products and livelihoods research and teaching. With a strong track record of developing, funding, and managing international interdisciplinary research projects, he has successfully raised over €32 million in external funding, primarily as the principal investigator. His publications appear in reputable natural and social science journals. His research is focused on the relationships between the environment and people, particularly the role of forests in preventing and reducing poverty, as well as the commercial utilization of biodiversity with an emphasis on trade and conservation. He is increasingly engaged in issues related to bioeconomy and climate change. Professor Smith-Hall is a member of international journal boards, coordinates the IUFRO Global Task Force on Unlocking Bioeconomy and Non-Timber Forest Products, and serves in the World Conservation Union's Medicinal Plant Specialist Group and Sustainable Use Livelihoods Specialist Group. He has significant experience in capacity-building collaborations across various large-scale projects worldwide. He was responsible for the EU-funded global PhD program 'Forest Nature Society' from 2009 to 2019 and the European elite MSc program 'Sustainable Tropical Forestry' from 2005 to 2019. Currently, he is the coordinator and head of studies for the new Erasmus Mundus MSc in Global Environment and Development, demonstrating his commitment to the internationalization of university teaching and pioneering the application of technology in education, including e-learning.

Research Interests