Cornelis (Kees) Swaans
Cornelis (Kees) Swaans is a Dutch scientist and program leader with over 25 years of experience in Africa and Asia. His career has evolved from addressing technical and social challenges in agriculture, health, and ecosystem-based management to focusing on integrated knowledge management, innovation, and policy engagement for sustainable development. He has held positions as scientist, project coordinator, and program manager in universities, international research organizations, and NGOs.
Kees joined the Alliance of Bioversity International and CIAT in 2019 as Senior Scientist and has led the Climate Action team in Asia since 2022. Based in Hanoi, he works with a diverse team of development professionals, scientists, and consultants on national and subnational climate risk profiles and investment plans, the design and scaling of risk assessment tools and digital agroclimatic advisory services, as well as climate-resilient agriculture. His work spans the Philippines, Vietnam, Cambodia, Laos, Myanmar, Nepal, and Pakistan. He also serves as the Alliance focal point for the CGIAR Scaling for Impact program in Asia and for Multifunctional Landscapes in Vietnam.
Kees holds a PhD in Innovation in Life Sciences from VU University Amsterdam and two MSc degrees from Wageningen University in Management of Agricultural Knowledge Systems and Plant Pathology.
