Prof. Marleen Dekker

Marleen Dekker is Professor of Inclusive Development in Africa at Leiden University and Director of the African Studies Centre Leiden. She is trained as a human geographer and holds a PhD in Development Economics. Marleen Dekker's research is interdisciplinary in nature and analyses the role of social norms and networks in accessing markets and local socio-economic development. The focus of her work is on behavioural determinants of access to and use of formal and informal financial services, including informal insurance networks, community-based health insurance and intra-household resource sharing. In a new initiative, Marleen facilitates interdisciplinary collaboration with natural scientists to develop African air quality and climate change models.