Maarten van Bottenburg
Maarten van Bottenburg is professor of Public Administration and Organisation Science at Utrecht University and coordinator of Utrecht University's focus area 'Sport & Society'. In 2017 he held the Francqui Chair at the Vrije Universiteit Brussels. He was also lecturer of sport business at Fontys University of Applied Sciences (2004-2009) and research director of the W.J.H. Mulier Institute – a leading centre for research on sports in society in the Netherlands (2002-2006), of which he was also one of the founders.
As such, Van Bottenburg has been engaged in both academic research and consultancy in the field of sports for thirty years. The common thread in his work is the question of how sport is developing as a social phenomenon, which public values and public issues arise from this, and how and why the organization and management of sport have an impact on those values and issues.
Van Bottenburg published several books, articles and reports on the social meanings and public issues of sport, such as social inclusion (club life), international prestige (medal rankings), violence (extreme fighting) and cheating (doping, match-fixing).