Peter Larsen

Dr Peter Bille Larsen

Chargé de cours

Uni Carl Vogt B311
+41 22 37 90894
Courriel

Peter Bille Larsen, Senior lecturer and researcher, joined the University of Geneva in September, 2018. He has a strong interest in critical theory, environmental anthropology and political ecology. Currently visiting professor at the University of Copenhagen, his work addresses the intersection between environmental conservation, politics and social equity concerns, including work in the fields of cultural heritage, environmental governance, international human rights standards and critical approaches to sustainability. Primary fieldwork sites include Peru, Viet Nam and global level processes. He works extensively with international organizations, NGOs and community-based organizations through collaborative efforts and policy-oriented action research. Active in multiple science policy arenas, he is currently a member of the Swiss Commission for UNESCO, presiding over a recent initiative on UNESCO-related human rights dialogues as well as the Interface Commission of the Swiss Anthropological Association (www.seg-interface.org).

Current research focuses on heritage and development in Vietnam, decolonial approaches in universities (COLUMN), minority justice and museums (MINJU), as well as the changing conditions of environmental civil society, criminalization and environmental defenders with funding from the Swiss National Science Foundation, HORIZON-SEFRI, the Korean Commission for UNESCO and 4EU+ network funds.

During the fall semester, he teaches a course on the social and environmental dilemmas in contemporary capitalism, a course on sustainability standards, as well as introductory courses on sustainable development and biodiversity governance. In the spring semester, he co-organizes workshop on sustainable consumption and social change.

Recent books include World heritage and human rights (Earthscan), Post-frontier resource governance (Palgrave, 2015), World heritage and sustainable development (Routledge, 2018) and European University Legacies (EUP, 2025).

Publications

Sociologie

Enseignements

Projets

"At" risk: Understanding contemporary environmental civil society challenges " (funded by the Fondation Ernest Boninchi)
"Facilitating evidence-based policy recommendations for states to improve the protection of environmental civil society and environmental defenders" (funded by the Geneva Science-Policy Interface)
"Regional Orders in International Environmental Politics (REORIENT)" (funded by the SNSF)
Decoloniality and heritage. Pathways towards collaborative approaches to indigenous and minority cultural heritage and landscape sustainability. This pilot project, co-organized jointly with Marisa Lazzari and Francesco Orlandi Barbano, of an interdisciplinary nature involves cooperation with the University of Exeter.
UNESCO and Human Rights Geneva Dialogues (2021 - on - going). Presiding this collaborative dialogue initiative spearheaded by the Swiss National Commission for UNESCO in collaboration with the UNESCO, the OHCHR, University of Geneva and the NGO REGARD network.
Collaborative research on sustainable development and heritage in Old Dongola Sudan (2019-2021).Collaborative action research initiative with Warzaw University on local perceptions, sustainable development and heritage in the Old Dongola area.
Engaged anthropology (2020 - ). Presiding SEG Interface Commission involved in collaborative research, dialogues and Summer School initiatives.
Anthropology of heritage and creativity. This initiative with EPFL, builds on a collaborative effort with colleagues, namely Florence Graezer Bideau, at the College of Humanities as a visiting scholar in 2021 (https://actu.epfl.ch/news/we-need-to-stop-being-socially-naive-about-what-he/) including the preparation of an international conference and phd school (https://edu.epfl.ch/coursebook/en/interrogating-heritage-and-creativity-AR-622).