
COUNCIL MEMBERS
The VSS Academic Advisory Council gathers an international and multi-disciplinary mix of academic experts involved in research on voluntary sustainability standards. Through its annual conferences, it offers the opportunity to discuss the latest research as well as ‘hot topics’ on VSS (see Objectives of the AAC).
The AAC permanent members will typically be invited to the AAC annual conferences, gathering academics from diverse backgrounds and, potentially, other stakeholders in the VSS system (with a stakeholder member status). However, participation in the AAC annual conferences is not mandatory. Participating members on the other hand, are not required to present their latest research or papers during the annual conferences but are rather expected to provide input to the discussions, drawing on their expertise and their knowledge of the literature on VSS.

Deputy Director,
Leuven Centre for Global Governance
KU Leuven

Director
Global Economics at the Robert Schuman
Centre for Advanced Studies
European University Institute

Former Vice President of Peru
Professor of Economics
Universidad del Pacifico

Chief VSS Program
UNFSS Coordinator
UNCTAD
PERMANENT MEMBERS
Membership of the AAC is by invitation. As the AAC is striving for global reach, applications are welcome.
The following criteria will be used to assess membership of the AAC:
- Affiliation to an academic institution
- Geographical location
- Disciplinary background
- At least 5 publications focusing explicitly on voluntary sustainability standards
- Publication on VSS in the last 3 years
- At least 5 years seniority as a post-doctoral researcher at an academic institutions
Members’ appointment procedure will be based on ensuring a balanced representation of countries/universities of affiliation and of different disciplines involved in VSS research.
Membership in the AAC is free of charge.
Names, academic affiliations, and hyperlink to publication list of permanent members may be referenced.

Associate Professor
Jawarhalal Nehru University

Professor
Managing Global Governance
Uni Duisburg-Essen

Professor
Lee Kuan Yew School of Public Policy
National University of Singapore

Associate Professor
University of Melbourne

Associate Professor of International Affairs
Director of Political Economy at Lewis & Clark College
Carr Fellow at the Harvard Kennedy School

Professor
University of the Witwatersrand

Research Director
CIRAD – French Agricultural Research Centre for International Development

Professor and Senior Fellow
Woods Institute for the Environment
Stanford Woods Institute

Director, School of Public Policy and Administration
Carleton University

Assistant Professor
University of British Columb

Professor
Ghent University

Professor
University of Basel

Professor
Universidad Anáhuac

Professor, Institute of Social Science
University of Tokyo

Non-Resident Fellow
Center for Global Development

Associate Professor
Institute of International Economy
University of International Business and Economics

Deputy Director / Research Director
Climate and Energy Fridtjof Nansen Institute

Dean, Geneva School of Economics and Management
University of Geneva

Professor in Agricultural and Development Economics
University of Leuven

Deputy Director
Institute of Developing Economies
JETRO Japan

Professor
Centre for Business and Development Studies (CBDS)
Copenhagen Business School

Professor
University of Muenster

Professor
Fundação Getulio Vargas, Brazil

Research Fellow
Maastricht University

Associate Professor, Faculty of Administration
Universitat de los Andes

Senior Lecturer
University of Bath

Assistant Professor
University of Basel

Associate Professor
Wageningen University

Director of Research
University of Warwick

Assistant Professor
FGV School of International Relations
ACADEMIC ADVISORY COUNCIL SECRETARIAT

Chief VSS Program
UNFSS Coordinator
UNCTAD

Researcher
University of Münster

Charline Depoorter
Assistant Professor
University of Basel

