Menno E. A. Hurenkamp

Profile

Menno Hurenkamp has been shuttling between academia and journalism for decades. He initially studied political science at Radboud University but completed his degree at the University of Amsterdam. Menno began as a programme maker for the political and cultural centre De Balie in Amsterdam and wrote for publications including Intermediair and de Groene Amsterdammer. He then became editor-in-chief of the Tijdschrift voor Sociale Vraagstukken, only to return to the University of Amsterdam a few years later to write a doctoral thesis. He interrupted that research after some time to accompany his family to Moscow. There, Menno wrote for de Groene Amsterdammer again, but also began, remotely, as editor-in-chief of S&D, the monthly magazine of the Wiardi Beckman Foundation. Moreover, he wrote a children’s book there, about which Elsevier’s weekly magazine wrote: ‘Hurenkamp writes concisely and directly, but also vividly. He shows understanding for all the characters and remains cheerful.’ ‘Which does not mean that everyone is spared.’ Back in the Netherlands, Menno continued writing and editing a stack of books, particularly for the Wiardi Beckman Foundation. He also completed his doctoral thesis at the University of Amsterdam in 2017, titled Met geven hoofd. Burgerschap in lichte gemeentschappen. In 2019, Menno started at the University for Humanistic Studies, where he first helped set up the MA programme in Citizenship and Quality of Coexistence, and currently works as Professor of Democracy as Human Work.