Sean Pears joins HPS as PhD fellow

Sean Pears joins HPS as PhD Fellow as a part of the project “ Human Variables in Biodiversity Assessment “ led by Joeri Witteveen and supported by Carlsbergfondet.

“Biodiversity can be measured in many different ways. Do we focus on particular species or on a specific natural habitat? That has great significance for how we ultimately come to understand biodiversity,” says Sean.

In the end, it is human values that shape how we choose to measure biodiversity. So the question is: how can human values help or limit our ability to protect nature?

“I would like to explore how values have influenced the way we have worked with biodiversity so far. And which values are at play. Is it primarily Western science that dictates how we measure biodiversity? Or are the perspectives of local and Indigenous peoples also included?”