Ton Dietz was the director of the African Studies Centre Leiden and Professor of the Study of African Development at Leiden University from May 2010 until September 2017. He is co-chair of the Leiden African Studies Assembly (LeidenASA). Before coming to Leiden Ton Dietz was a Professor of Human Geography at the University of Amsterdam (1995-2010; he still is a Guest Professor at the UvA), and Scientific Director of the National Research School for Resource Studies for Development, CERES, and a Professor at Utrecht University (2002-2007; half time). Ton Dietz studied human geography in Nijmegen (1969-1976), and defended his PhD at the University of Amsterdam (in 1987). He became Doctor of Science Honoris Causa at Moi University, Eldoret, Kenya, in 2007, and he received a Laureat d’Honneur from the International Geographical Union in Kyoto in 2013.
