Martin Hvidt

CV

Martin Hvidt

Contact information:  

Office phone: +45 6550 2821; Mobile: +45 2144 2575, e-mail: [email protected]

Formal education

• AFS International Scholarship, Beloit High School, Wisconsin 1975-76.
• 'International Year' University of Aalborg, 1984-85.
• M.Sc. (cultural geography) Inst. of Geography, University of Aarhus, 1987.
• MBA, Inst. of Business Economics, University of Aarhus, 1988.
• Ph.D. Inst. of History and Civilization, Odense University in collaboration with Colorado State University, Fort Collins 1995.
• Arabic summer school (9 weeks), Middlebury College, Vermont, 1997.
• Assessed qualified for a full professorship (chair) in Modern Middle East Studies by an international assessment committee, August 2011.
• Research Management Course, Copenhagen Business School, CBS Executive, Spring 2013.
• Assessed qualified as full professor, Zayed University, spring 2013.
• Dr.phil. University of Southern Denmark, Faculty of Humanities. Higher Doctoral Dissertation (Doktordisputats), defended on April 5^th, 2019.  

Current and previous positions

• Trainee, United Nations, Food and Agricultural Organization (FAO), Ghana, 1985.
• Assistant professor (substitute), Center for Contemporary Middle East Studies, Odense University, 1988-90.
• Ph.D. Scholar, Inst. of History and Civilization, Odense University in collaboration with Colorado State University, Fort Collins 1991-94.
• Assistant professor, Center for Contemporary Middle East Studies, Odense University, 1995-98.
• Consultant, World Bank, Washington D.C., Spring semester, 1996.
• Academic Secretary, Rectors (Provost) office, Odense University, 1998-2000.
• Associate Professor, Center for Contemporary Middle East Studies, University of Southern Denmark (former Odense University), 2000 - August 2013.
• Senior consultant, World Bank, Washington D.C. Spring semester, 2004.
• Professor (full), Zayed University, College of Sustainability Sciences and Humanities, August 2013 – July 2016
• Associate Professor, Center for Contemporary Middle East Studies, University of Southern Denmark, August 2016

Positions of Trust

• Board Member, the Association of Development Researchers in Denmark (FAU), 1995-2000 and 2003 to present.
• Chairman, College committee for information technology, Faculty of Humanities, SDU, July 2004 to August 2013.
• Head of Department, Center for Contemporary Middle East Studies, 2000-2003.
• Executive committee member and Danish representative in the European Association of Development Research and Training Institutes (EADI), 2004 - 2011.
• Member of the working group under Danish Universities (former Rektorkollegiet) that established the aid initiative “Building Stronger Universities,” 2009-2010.
• Chaiman, ‘Open Science’ committee charged with the responsibility to outline Open Science policies for three institutes under Humanities, SDU. 2019 and 2021.
• Head of Studies for the MA programme in Modern Middle East studies, Jan 2022 ->

Administrative experience

I am a founding faculty member of the Center for Contemporary Middle East Studies, joining as one of its first academics when the center was established in 1985. From its beginnings with a small team of four, we jointly played a role in building the center from its first intake of students in the Open University program in 1988 into a fully accredited Master’s program that, 25 years later, graduated approximately 50 candidates annually.

What began with one associate professor and four junior faculty had, by 2012, grown into a vibrant institution employing 2 full professors, 1 visiting professor, 6 associate professors, 2 assistant professors, 4 adjunct lecturers, and 6 PhD students. Throughout this development, we were all actively engaged in shaping the center’s strategic direction, academic programs, income-generating activities, and research—particularly during its formative decade.

I am especially proud of my leading role in establishing the Open University program, which provided advanced training on contemporary Middle Eastern affairs to high school teachers, journalists, and members of the security sector, including the Danish intelligence agency and police force.

From 2000–2003, I served as Head of Department at the center, overseeing 12 faculty members and 3 staff. In addition, I gained broader university-level administrative experience as Academic Secretary to the Provost of Odense University, a position I held for nearly two years. In that role, my primary responsibility was facilitating and supporting the merger of Odense University with three smaller university institutions, in addition to various other assignments.

Consultancies and commissioned studies

I have carried out commissioned studies for FAO (1984/85); for the Danish International Development Agency (DANIDA), 1990 and 1992; for The Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Denmark twice during 2006, for the World Bank (WB) in 1996 and 2004, for London School of Economics (LSE), 2011-2012, for the Emirates Policy Center / Arab Strategy Forum (2018) and for the Bussola Institute, Geneve (2020).

Contact with the Middle East

I have lived, done research in and travelled widely in the Middle Eastern region. As such I have visited for shorter or longer periods 18 out of the 21 countries in the region. During the 1990s I have lived in Egypt for more than 1 ½ years. Countries like Israel, Turkey, Syria, Lebanon, Jordan, I have visited several times. I have paid frequently visits to and lived for a month in each of the Arab Gulf states; UAE, Oman, Bahrain, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Yemen.

The reasons for traveling to these countries have been motivated either by own research, attending conferences/workshops, consultancy work, heading excursions for our students etc.

From August 2013 to July 2016 I held a position as professor (full) at Zayed University, Dubai campus, The United Arab Emirates, and as such have day-to-day living experience from the Gulf Region.

Reviews and editorial boards

Review of articles for: Journal of Arabian Studies; Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies; The Middle East Journal; Growth and Change: A journal of Urban and Regional Policy; Economic Research Forum; Babylon; British Journal of Middle Eastern Studies; Cambridge Review of International Affairs, Cambridge Journal of Regions and Society (CJRES), Journal of Alternative & Community Media, SN Business & Economics, Thunderbird International Business Review.

Book Manuscripts or other longer formats: Pearson Longman, Center for International and Regional Studies, Georgetown University, School of Foreign Service, Qatar. London School of Economics and Politics.

Panalist: Review of grant applications for Qatar National Research Foundation (QNRF), National Priorities Research Program, Sep. 2021, June 2020, and June 2024

Teaching

Portfolio of courses taught at SDU

Economy and natural resources in the Middle East (40-hour course, Master level, taught at Centre f. Middle East Studies), taught every fall, fall 2016, fall 2017, fall 2018, fall 2019, fall 2020, fall 2021, fall 2022, spring 2024

Elective course: The Arab Gulf States: Contemporary Challenges and possible solutions. Master level, taught at Centre f. Middle East Studies, spring 2021

Metode 5 (39-hours + 13 hours exercises, Bachelor level, taught at the Institute of History), spring 2018

The history of the Scandinavian welfare state (52-hour course, Bachelor level, Scandinavian Area Studies Programme, taught for the Academic Study board for Danish studies), fall 2018 and fall 2019.

The Scandinavian Welfare Society (52-hour course, Bachelor level, Scandinavian Area Studies Programme, taught for the Academic Study board for Danish studies), spring 2019, spring 2020.

Contemporary British Studies (26-hours x 2, Department of History), fall 2019, fall 2021.

American Studies (26-hours), Center for American Studies, spring 2020, spring 2021

Development economics (39-hour course, undergraduate and Master level, taught at Department of Economics), every fall 2004 to 2013.

International Politics and Organization (30-hour course, undergraduate level, taught at Department of Political Science).

Specialized courses / Senior Seminars (Master level, taught at Center of Middle East Studies) e.g. - ‘The modern Egypt’ - ‘Israel: the rise of a state’ - ‘The Middle East in a Globalized World’

Research methodology for Social Sciences (30-hour course, undergraduate level, taught at Department of Journalism).

Ph.D. courses, I was a part of the permanent staff at the Research School of the 'Dansk Institut for Gynmansipædagogik,' where I taught research methodology.

Open University (diplom) courses at SDU over a 20 year period (basically an economic/political approach to area studies of e.g. Iran, Turkey, Israel, the Gulf etc.

I addition I taught at several Ph.D.-courses e.g. the Scandinavian /Baltic Ph.D.-seminar ’Water in Africa, South Asia and the Middle East: An interdisciplinary course in the history of water use, hydro politics and sustainable water management,’ Bergen 13th-17th of August 2001 and the Scandinavian Ph.D.-seminar ‘The Third World in the Global Governance System’, St. Restrup Herregaard, Nibe, 24th – 27th of February, 2003.

Portfolio og Courses taught at Zayed University, United Arab Emirates, 2013-2016

Social and Economic Trends in the Gulf (60-hours, taught Fall 2013, Spring 2014, Fall 2014, Spring 2015, Fall 2015)

Introduction to International Relations (60-hours, taught Fall 2013, Fall 2015)

Research Methodology (80-hours, taught Fall 2014 (2 sections))

Politics of Oil (60-hours, taught Spring 2015, Spring 2016)

Political History of the UAE (60-hours, taught Spring 2016)

Special Topics: Governance in the GCC countries: Historical, Economic and Political issues (60-hours, taught Spring 2016)

EMPA Cohorte #8 and #9: Master Programme. Applied Research Methods in Public Policy and Administration (40-hours, taught Fall 2015, Spring 2016)

Service at Zayed University (2013-2016)

At College level:
2013-2016: Chair of College Promotion Committee, College of Social Sciences and Humanities

2013-2014: Member of Hiring Committee for three faculty positions, Department of Humanities and Social Sciences

2014-2015: Member of Faculty Affairs Committee, College of Social Sciences and Humanities

2015-2016:  Member of Hiring Committee for three faculty positions in social sciences, Department of Humanities and Social Sciences

2015-2016:  College Council, College of Sustainability Sciences & Humanities

2015-2016: Chair Department of Humanities and Social Sciences Curriculum Committee which established a new Minor in Middle East and Gulf Studies including some new courses.

At University level:
2014-2016: Member University Faculty Promotion Advisory Committee.

2014-2015: Curriculum Planning Committee. Under charge from the Prime Minister’s Office the group established the course: Introduction to Entrepreneurship.

2014-2015: Member of the University Steering Committee that oversaw the implementation of the ‘Graders First’ computer system.

Research

My research over the past 40 years has been related to these four broad topics/projects.

1) Gulf Rising: Developmental Patterns in the Resource-Rich Economies of the Arab Gulf
This project examines the development trajectories and economic diversification strategies of the six GCC states—Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE. It documents and analyzes variations in developmental strategies, patterns, and outcomes across these countries, with the aim of explaining why such divergences emerge over time.

2) Dubai: A Middle Eastern Developmental State
This research investigates the developmental process of Dubai, with the goal of identifying the defining features of the "Dubai model" of development. It explores the political and organizational structures of the emirate, as well as the evolving relationship between the state and the private sector. The project also seeks to contribute to broader theoretical debates on the concept of the "developmental state."

3) The Middle East and North Africa in a Globalized World
This project focuses on the political and economic dynamics within the MENA region that either hinder or promote globalization. A particular emphasis is placed on the scale, patterns, and impacts of foreign direct investment (FDI) in the region.

4) Irrigation Management and Water Governance
This research explores the social, technical, and institutional dimensions of transforming large-scale irrigation systems to achieve greater efficiency. It emphasizes farmer participation in the allocation and distribution of irrigation water and addresses broader issues of Integrated Water Resources Management (IWRM).

Research grants

Januar 2020 – December 2021: Port polities. Logistics, political orders and new hegemons in the land-sea nexus. Finn Stepputat (Principal investigator) (DIIS), Jessica Larsen (DIIS) and Martin Hvidt (SDU). Project no. 95-657-26141. Total project amount 3 057 232 DKK, Amount allocation to Martin Hvidt: 247 680 DKK.

August 2015 - July 2016: Research Incentive Fund (RIF), Zayed University. Funding the research project Leap-frogging into the 'Knowledge Society' - The role of UAE media in the translation, transformation and transportation of research- based knowledge to the public. Charlotte N. Wien (principal investigator), Martin Hvidt. Amount 191 205 DKK.

January 2014- December 2015. Research Incentive Fund (RIF), Zayed University. Funding the project The Dubai Model Revisited. Martin Hvidt (Principal Investigator), Farhi Marir, Sara Chehab, Nikolaous Rachniotis. Amount 171 135 DKK.

August 2010 - July 2014. Danish Social Science Research Council (project no. 09-069000). Funding for the research project: Gulf rising. Developmental patterns in the resource rich economies of the Arab Gulf Region. Individual research project. The funding included field work of one month duration in each of the six Gulf states. Amount: 2 101 450 DKK.

August 2006-December 2007: Danish Social Science Research Council (project no 275-06-0106). Financing of the research project Dubai: A Middle Eastern Developmental State. Individual research project. Included fieldwork in Dubai for 4 months. Amount: 549 077 DKK.

January 2006 - December 2008: The Danish Research Board for Development Studies (RUF). Three year grant to cover costs associated with representing the Danish development research community in the European Association of Development, Research and Training Institutes (EADI). Project no. 104.Dan.8-534. Amount: 63 000 DKK.

January 1992 - March 1995: The Danish Research Board for Development Studies (RUF). Full funding of 3 years Ph.D. scholarship. Individual research project. Amount: approximately 1 200 000 DKK.

--- end ---

Forskningsinteresser

Til Pressen

Mit fagområde er økonomiske og sociale forhold i Mellemøsten. Jeg svarer på spørgsmål om samfundsøkonomi, udvikling, samfundsplanlægning, Visioner og udviklingsplaner, befolkningsspørgsmål, uddannelse, olie, vandressourcer, handel og miljømæssige (grøn omstilling) forhold for de mellemøstlige lande generelt. 

Jeg er specialiseret i De arabiske Golf lande, dvs. Bahrain, Kuwait, Oman, Qatar, Saudi Arabien og De forenede Arabiske Emirater (Dubai, Abu Dhabi). Jeg har boet mindst en måned i hvert af disse lande og har beklædt et Professorat ved Zayed University i Dubai i tre år (2013-2016). Med andre ord, jeg mener at have betydelig indsigt i ikke blot økonomiske, men også sociale og politiske forhold i regionen.