Dirk Ahner is a Visiting Professor at EPRC, providing support and advice on research projects relating to EU Cohesion policy. He is actively involved in IQ-Net, a member of the Advisory Board for the EPRC-led Horizon 2020 COHESIFY project on Cohesion policy and European identity, and an Expert Adviser to the EPRC Masters in Regional and Territorial Development Policy.
Professor Ahner was Director-General of DG REGIO from 2007 to 2011, and is currently Special Advisor to the European Commissioner for Agriculture and Rural Development (on regional and rural development), a member of the advisory boards of the Association of European Border Regions, the Institute for Small and Medium-sized Enterprises, and the RISE Foundation (for rural development).