dr. ing. M. (Marianna) Markantoni
Education
2012: PhD in Lifestyle Entrepreneurship and Rural Development - University of Groningen, Faculty of Spatial Sciences, Department of Cultural Geography. The Netherlands.
Thesis: ‘Side activities by non-farmers. In search of personal and rural development’.
Supervisors: prof Dirk Strijker, dr Sierjan Koster, external examiner: prof Michael Woods.
Funded by: Onassis Foundation, Greece and Manshold Chair for Rural Development, University of Groningen.
2007: MSc Managemen of Agro-ecological Knowledge and Social Sciences - University of Wageningen, Rural Sociology Group. The Netherlands
Dissertation: ‘Investigating the collective marketing initiatives of winegrowers in the Netherlands’,
Co-funded: Onassis Foundation and COFAMI .
Winner of the National Thesis Prize (ScriptiePrijs) of the Netherlands.
2005: MSc Agricultural Economics, Agricultural University of Athens, Athens, Greece.
2004: BSc Agricultural Engineering, Agricultural University of Athens, Athens, Greece.
Professional Employment
2023-current: Senior Lecturer of Sustainable Business and Entrepreneurship. University College Groningen. University of Groningen, The Netherlands.
2021-2023: Research Fellow/Post-doc on Energy Democracy, Energy Citizenship and Transformative Agency.
EU H2020 project EnergyPROSPECTS - University of Maastricht, Maastricht Sustainability Institute (MSI), School of Business and Economics, The Netherlands.
2018-2021: Human Geographer, Policy Advisor and Auditor.
Audit Scotland, Performance Audit and Best Value Team, Justice, Education and Lifelong Learning Cluster, Edinburgh, UK.
2017: Social Geographer
Secondment Scottish Government, Rural Communities Research, Rural and Environment Science and Analytical Services Division, Edinburgh, UK.
2012-2018: Lead Sociologist, Geographer and Rural Policy analyst in Rural Society Team.
Scotland's Rural College (SRUC), Rural Policy Centre, Land Economy, Environment and Society Group, Edinburgh UK.
2007: Corporate Social Responsibility Consultant and Team Lead.
Nike Inc. European operations, Corporate Social Responsibility, Hilversum, The Netherlands.
Awards and fellowships
|
2025-2030
|
CLAMAC project
The CLAMAC project (“Critical Language and Multimodal Awareness: a key competency for future-oriented graduates”) aims to embed critical awareness of how language and multimodal communication shape society, norms, and ideologies into higher education, starting with business and management curricula.
CLAMAC promotes Critical Language and Multimodal Awareness (CLMA) as a key skill for navigating today's complex challenges. By recognizing how language and communication shape societal norms and ideologies, CLMA empowers future professionals with critical thinking and analytical skills essential for transformative change. The project will develop a toolkit with educational materials and evidence-based methods to integrate CLMA into higher education curricula. Beyond equipping students, the project aims to inspire broader curriculum reform, demonstrating the transformative power of language and communication in building a sustainable, equitable future. |
|
2025
|
Nominated for the Best Practice in Teaching and Learning Award (BPA) of the University of Groningen (UG). Representative of the University College Groningen, 2025. Nomination: Principles of Entrepreneurship course (UCG): An experiential journey in entrepreneurial mindset development.
|
|
2024-2025 |
Teaching Academy Groningen successful applicant. Project: Building Entrepreneurial Mindsets: A Hands-on Approach to Entrepreneurship Education applying LEGO Serious Play. |
|
2017 |
Scottish Crucible programme successful applicant. LABS at Edinburgh University (26, 27 April 2017), University of Stirling (1, 2 June 2017) and University of the West of Scotland (6, 7 July 2017). |
|
2016 |
Newton Fund Researcher Links Fellowship – The expansion of new frontiers for renewable energy: effects, conflicts & alternatives for populations in spaces of socio-environmental vulnerability, British Council with the Research Support Foundation of the State of Goiás, FAPEG. |
|
2011 |
Post-doc fellowship on rural resilience funded by the Mansholt Chair for Rural Development, University of Groningen, Faculty of Spatial Sciences, Cultural Geography. |
|
2007-2011 |
Fellowship for the PhD in Cultural Geography, Faculty of Spatial Sciences, University of Groningen, from the Greek Foundation Alexandros S. Onassis. Co-funded by the Mansholt Chair for Rural Development, Faculty of Spatial Sciences, University of Groningen. |
|
2007 |
Winner of the National Thesis Prize (ScriptiePrijs) of the Netherlands: MSc thesis: ‘Investigating the Collective Marketing Initiatives of Winegrowers in the Netherlands’. Den Haag, the Netherlands, World Forum, 1st October 2007. |
|
2005-2007 |
Fellowship for the MSc Agro-ecological Knowledge and Social Changes, Rural Sociology Group, Wageningen University, from the Greek Foundation Alexandros S. Onassis. Co-funded by the project: Encouraging Collective Farmers Marketing Initiatives (COFAMI). |