2012 – 2014
Visiting Professor Department of Geography, University of Yangon (resident)

2000 – present
Chair, Full Professor (C4) in Human Geography, University of Cologne

1998 – 1999
Heisenberg Scholarship of the German Research Foundation (DFG)

1996
Habilitation University of Bonn

1991
PhD University of Münster (summa cum laude)

2022 – 2025
Member of the Scientific Board of the South Asia Institute, University of Heidelberg (SAI)

since 2021
Chairperson of the Frithjof Voss Foundation for Geography

2020/ 2021
Award of the Albertus Magnus Teaching Award of the University of Cologne

since 2019
Member of the Advisory Board for CRC-TR 228 "Future Rural Africa: Future-making and social-ecological transformation"

since 2018
Member of the Senate Committee and Member of the Grants Committee on Collaborative Research Centres (SFB) of the German Research Foundation (DFG)

since 2017
Editor of the publication series "Urban and Regional Development in Myanmar" (Franz Steiner Verlag)

since 2014
International Advisor for the University of Yangon, Myanmar

since 2011
Adjunct Faculty of Bharati Vidyapeeth University, Pune/India

since 2009
President of the German-Thai-Society

since 2009
Editor of the publication series "Megastädte und Globaler Wandel; Megacities and Global Change"(Franz Steiner Verlag)

since 2009
Member of "Deutsche Akademie der Naturforscher Leopoldina"

since 2007
Member of "Österreichische Akademie der Wissenschaften, Wien"

since 2005
Editor of the publication series "Southeast Asian Modernities" (LitVerlag)

since 2004
Member of Academia Europaea

since 2001
Member of Geographical Society of Finland

1997
Gerhard Hess Award of the German Research Foundation (DFG)

since 1996
Spokesperson of the "Scientifc Research Group on Southeast Asia", German Geographical Society (DGfG)

since 1991
Publisher of the "Thailand-Rundschau"

since 1989
Co-head of the federal office of the Association of Geographers at
German Universities, GEO-Office, Cologne

• Megacity and urbanization studies: development dynamics, risks, health, cultural heritage, governance, informality, resource security.
• Social geography: migration, ethnic minorities, socio-economic disparities
• Development, transition and regional studies
• Southeast Asia (Myanmar, Thailand, Vietnam, Indonesia), India, Iceland, Switzerland, China