Dr Fjalar de Haan

Fjalar de Haan is a transitionist. He develops theory and other tools for understanding sustainability transitions and societal transformations. Modelling is one of his favourite tools and he would say that modelling helps to accelerate the interactions between theory and empirical work towards better understanding. Fjalar has an MSc in theoretical physics (Institute Lorentz, Leiden University, under supervision of Prof Wim van Saarloos) and a PhD in transitions studies (DRIFT, Erasmus University Rotterdam, under supervision of Prof Jan Rotmans), with a thesis entitled ‘Towards Transition Theory’. Fjalar developed the Multi-Pattern Approach which enables systematic case analysis by breaking down complex transition pathways into sequences of patterns and led the development of the Societal Needs Framework, describing and explaining how our service-provision systems are intimately related with the societal needs they meet. Fjalar has been exploring the fringe of transitions theory and modelling in a variety of sectoral contexts including health care, urban water management and energy, as part of international, interdisciplinary teams (e.g. EU-FP7 PREPARED: Enabling Change), project-based with industry (e.g. Australian Research Council Linkage Project with Melbourne Water) and in curiosity-driven solo projects. Fjalar is currently based at the Melbourne Sustainable Society Institute at The University of Melbourne.