Jean Poesen is an emeritus professor in geography at KU Leuven (Belgium), where he continuous his research and teaching activities, and a full professor at the Faculty of Earth Science and Spatial Management, Maria Curie-Skłodowska University (UMCS), Lublin (Poland).

He is a fellow member of the Royal Academy for Oversees Sciences (RAOS, 1997-), of the Royal Flemish Academy of Belgium for Science and the Arts (KVAB 2009- ) and a foreign fellow of the Royal Holland Society of Sciences and Humanities (2013-  ).

Jean Poesen holds a master degree in geography (KU Leuven), a PhD. in Sciences (KU Leuven) and a DSc in Soil Science and Geomorphology (University of Wolverhampton, UK). He received honoris causa doctorates from the Alexandru Ioan Cuza University of Iasi, Iasi, Romania (2013) and from the Maria Curie-Skłodowska University (UMCS) in Lublin, Poland (2014). In 2016 he was awarded the Alexander von Humboldt Medal from the European Geosciences Union (EGU) and the David Linton Medal from the British Society for Geomorphology

His expertise and research interests include geomorphology, soil degradation, soil erosion, sediment dynamics, hillslope hydrology, desertification processes and mitigation techniques, soil erosion control, soil and water conservation (including the human dimension), impact of environmental change on geomorphic processes under different ecological conditions, geoheritage and geotourism. He has conducted field- and laboratory-based research on geomorphic processes and human-environment interactions in Europe, Africa, Asia, North and South America.

He is an author or co-author of more than 900 scientific papers of which 555 are listed in the Web of Science.