Dr. Matthias Kokorsch is the director of the master’s program in Coastal Communities and Regional Development. He holds a PhD from the University of Iceland in Geography, and a state examination for teaching in Geography, Social Sciences and Pedagogy from the University of Duisburg and Essen. His PhD dissertation was entitled “Mapping Resilience – Coastal Communities in Iceland” (Seigla íslenskra sjávarbyggða).

Matthias Kokorsch’s research interests include community resilience, regional development, particularly in sparsely populated regions, structural changes of old-industrial areas, and resource management in combination with aspects of justice and decision-making processes. Matthias Kokorsch has been involved in several research projects on regional and community development. Currently he works in the international program ClicNord which addresses aspects of place-attachment in small and remote communities in times of climate change related natural hazards. Another research project focuses on the role of innovation in rural communities. Prior to his job as program director, Matthias Kokorsch worked as scientist for the Thünen-Institute of Rural Studies in Germany and taught at the University of Hanover.

The Program Director in Coastal Communities and Regional Development has the following roles:

• Professional oversight over the master’s program, administration and co-ordination of the curriculum
• Contact between the Master's program committee, University Centre staff, teachers and students in Coastal Communities and Regional Development
• Recommend new teachers, instructors, and thesis advisors to the master’s committee
• Facilitate cooperation, foster a network around the program and be of an assistance to teachers if needed
• Answer or correctly forward all questions relating to professional aspects of the master’s program
• Keep track of students’ academic progress, both in courses and when working on their theses
• Take responsibility for thesis assessments, including presentations (lectures) and defenses