Olaf Kühne studied geography, modern history, economics and geology at the University of the Saarland and took his doctorate in geography and sociology there and at the Distance Learning University of Hagen. After working in various official capacities for the Federal State of the Saarland, he was from 2013-2016 Professor of Rural Development and Regional Management at Weihenstephan-Triesdorf University of Applied Sciences, and Extraordinary Professor of Geography at the University of the Saarland in Saarbrücken. Since October 2016 he has been Research Professor of Geography at the University of Tübingen's Chair of Urban and Regional Development. In 2019, he was a visiting professor of sociology at the University of Florence. His research focuses on landscape, social acceptance of landscape change, sustainable development, and regional development. In dealing with the complexities of spatial research, he has developed a 'neopragmatic approach' that allows for the integration of different theoretical perspectives.
