Willem van Genugten
Quick Facts
Biography
Willem J.M. van Genugten (born 30 September 1950, Sint-Oedenrode) is Professor of International Law at Tilburg University, Visiting Professor at the University of Minnesota, USA and Extraordinary Professor of International Law at the North-West University, South Africa. In September 2012, he received a doctorate honoris causa from NWU.
He studied law (graduation in 1977, with distinction) and philosophy (graduation in 1985, cum laude) at the Radboud University Nijmegen. His first job was Head of the Studium Generale Office, Nijmegen University (1977-1985), followed by the position of Lecturer in Theory of Law at Tilburg University. In 1988, he defended his Ph.D. thesis at the Radboud University, where he became a Professor of Human Rights Law in 1991 (until 2006).
He also holds the position of Chair of the standing Commission on Human Rights of the Dutch government and of vice-chair of the Dutch Advisory Council on International Affairs, of which the Commission is a part; he is Editor of the Netherlands’ School of Human Rights Research Series and Editor-in-chief of the Netherlands Yearbook of International Law; Chair of WOTRO, Science for Global Development (part of the Netherlands Organisation for Scientific Research); Member of the Committee on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples of the International Law Association; and Chair of the Royal Netherlands Society of International Law.
In the past he has been, inter alia, Dean of the Law School of Tilburg University (2002-2004 and 2010-2011) and Dean of The Hague Institute for Global Justice (2011-2012). Van Genugten is married and father of three children (1986, 1987, 1991). He has published extensively on a variety of issues in international law.