With many years of experience as a public speaker—both in the Netherlands and internationally—I aim to make layered topics accessible and engaging for a broad audience, drawing on academic research as well as real-world examples.
As a professor of geopolitics and political geography, I have developed deep expertise in global justice, conflicts, European integration, border and migration policy, cartography, cross-border cooperation in border regions, national and regional identity, and football —often described as a battle on the field, without weapons.
In my talks, I aim to share critical insights and invite reflection on complex societal and political questions. Over the years, I have given hundreds of keynotes and public lectures at a wide range of events and organizations, such as for universities, TedX, Universiteit van Nederland, media, banks, firms, ministries, UN, NGO’s, EUregions, municipalities, foundations, museums and public debating centres and theaters like De Balie, Pakhuis de Zwijger, Schouwburg Rotterdam, LUX Nijmegen, Theater Meervaart, Theater aan het Vrijthof, and many others.
You can book me for keynotes and seminars (in Dutch or English), panel contributions, or a MapLab session. In a MapLab, using the insights of my book Free the Map (see also FreetheMap.org) participants create their own maps on timely geopolitical issues, which we then explore and discuss together. It is engaging, thought-provoking, and a great way to learn about urgent issues through doing.
I have a standard fee. You can contact me directly at Henk.vanHoutum@ru.nl or book a lecture via my speaking agency Sprekersarchitecten.
For small NGO’s or high schools, alternative arrangements are possible—for example, exchanging a keynote for the purchase of a number of any of my recent books. Always by mutual agreement.
Recent & Upcoming lectures:
- 26 March 2025, Milan Keynote -Department of Architecture and Urban Studies, Politecnico di Milano
- 7 April, Padova Keynote, Centre for Advanced Studies in Mobility & Humanities | DiSSGeA Department, University of Padova
- 16 April, Australian Critical Border Studies Network, Online Lecture
- 30 April: Tilburg: Seminar University Tilburg
- 22 May, Maastricht Keynote, Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, https://www.maastrichtuniversity.nl/about-um/faculties/faculty-arts-and-social-sciences
- 26-30 May, Pyla (Cyprus) Keynote, conference Border Regions in Transition
- 12 Juni, Deltametropool, Rotterdam, Lecture and Maplab
- 27 June, Regensburg, Lecture, Department for Interdisciplinary and Multiscalar Area Studies (DIMAS), University Regensburg
- 11 & 12 September, University Luxembourg, Keynote and Maplab, Cultures of Assembly
- 19 September, University Coimbra, Portugal, Keynote, Opening the Academic year
- 27 September, St. Niklaas, Keynote, VLA – Vereniging Leraars Aardrijkskunde
- 29 & 30 September, University of Bolzano, Opening Academic Year and Maplab
- 2 October, Amersfoort, Keynote, Congres VNG
- 7 October, Lecture Free the Map, De Balie, Amsterdam
- 7 November, Lyon, Lecture and Maplab, University Lyon
- 12 November, Theatercollege Free the Map, ”Van de Kaart”, Defacto, Theater aan het Vrijthof, Maastricht
- 20 November, Sevilla, Keynote, Conference Globalogies
- 28 November, University Wageningen
- 6 December, Kaaitheater, Brussel
- 11 December, University Utrecht
- 22 January 2026, De Nieuwe Amsterdamse School, Theater Meervaart, Amsterdam
- 5 February, Pakhuis de Zwijger, Amsterdam
- 24 March, Theatercollege, Van de Kaart, Defacto, Theater LUX Nijmegen
- 26 March, Pius X – Instituut, Antwerpen
- 21 April, University of Berlin
- 18-21 May, Fez, Morocco
- 5 November, Mercator Museum, Antwerpen
- 6 November, Kenniscafé van de Koppelkerk, Bredevoort