ABOUT
EELKE HEEMSKERK
Eelke M. Heemskerk is Full Professor of Political Networks at the University of Amsterdam, where he leads pioneering research at the intersection of political economy, network science, and computational social science. His work explores how corporate, financial, and governance networks shape global capitalism and institutional change.
A founder and academic director of the national infrastructure initiative PLANET-NL, Heemskerk has been instrumental in developing population-scale social network analysis across the social sciences. He also established the interfaculty Computational Social Science bachelor programme at the University of Amsterdam, underscoring his commitment to data-driven, interdisciplinary education.
Heemskerk previously directed the ERC-funded CORPNET project, which revealed how corporate ownership is reconcentrating in global financial markets—a finding that reshaped both academic debates and policy discussions. Heemskerk has authored or co-authored over 70 scientific publications, including around 40 peer-reviewed international journal articles. His research has appeared in leading journals such as Review of International Political Economy, Scientific Reports, and New Political Economy, and is widely cited across political science, sociology, and management studies. He has also (co-)authored three books, including Decline of the Corporate Community.
Internationally recognized for his work on “index capitalism” and corporate control, Heemskerk’s studies have been featured in the Financial Times, Bloomberg, The Guardian, and The Washington Post. His outreach through The Conversation has reached over 400,000 readers.
Beyond research, he has mentored a new generation of computational and political economy scholars who now hold academic positions across Europe. He regularly advises public institutions and has an extensive record as a governance consultant for corporate and nonprofit boards.
Recipient of multiple major research grants totaling over €8 million, Heemskerk combines scholarly excellence with public engagement, bridging academic inquiry and societal relevance through innovative, data-rich approaches to understanding power, networks, and governance in the 21st century.
VISITING RESEARCH POSITIONS
Previous to his work at the UvA, Eelke was visiting research scholar at the Institute of Strategic Management, Ludwig Maximilians University, Munich; at the Center on Organizational Innovation, Columbia University, New York; and research fellow at the Germany Institute at UvA and at the Amsterdam Institute for Labour Studies (AIAS). He received his PhD at the Amsterdam School for Social Science Research.
AWARDS
For his research on how social networks influence boardroom decision-making he received the Veni Prize for excellent researchers by the Dutch Science foundation.