Jan van Hooff
(Arnhem, 1936) is emeritus professor in ethology and social ecology. Van Hooff grew up in Burgers’ Zoo in Arnhem of which his parents were the directors. His maternal grandfather, Johan Burgers, founded the zoo and his brother Antoon was its director later on. Van Hooff studied biology with among others Niko Tinbergen and Desmond Morris and did his Ph.D. on social behaviour and communication among primates. Especially his studies on laughter and smiling in primates drew attention. As a professor at the universities of Utrecht and Wageningen he studied social behaviour in primates such as orang-utans and chimpansees. He did fieldwork in Indonesia and in Burgers’ Zoo, looking at how animals live together in group structures and how they solve conflicts. In July 2013 he enthusiastically presented a programme on ‘monkey business’ with Teleac-NTR. Van Hooff is a scientific member of the Board of Burgers' Zoo and until recently was secretary-general of the International Primatological Society and chair of the Jane Goodall Institute in the Netherlands.
Past events
Talking to the scientist: Jan van Hooff
The expert on primates joins the regulars' table. In Dutch.
Nothing to hide! A debate with the audience
My whole life on Facebook. Or rather, surely not? Together with host Ruben Maes we try to find out the do's and don't's. Writer and philosopher Connie Palmen, expert on primates Jan van Hooff and Maurits Martijn, a journalist and expert in the field privacy and surveillance, help us out. In Dutch.
