Career
Later that year (2008) he was selected as Ashoka fellow, world leading social entrepreneur. In 2010 he became one of the eight global ambassadors for the International Union for Conservation of Nature countdown 2010 initiative. Besides these international awards he got several national awards: Gulden Spoor - Golden Holidaymaker - Sustainable tourism ambassador, et cetera
Due to his international work on biodiversity and social entrepreneurship he became Honorary Doctor for the University of Hasselt in 2011.
In June 2013 he became part of the Climate Leadership Corps of First Rate (at Lloyd's) Gore. The success of his work is based the (Re)connection Model, which tries to (Re)connect nature with society.
This model has four principles:
(Re)connect nature with nature
(Re)connect people with nature
(Re)connect business with nature
(Re)connect policy with practice
Schops is author and co-author of several books and articles on herpetology, nature conservation, landscaping, social entrepreneurship, sustainable tourism, et cetera Related to and launced at the United Nations Earth Summit in Rio de Janeiro 2012 he was selected to write contribution in the book Green Growth and travelism, Letters from leaders.
Schops is often asked as key note speaker for international conferences.
He gave presentations at: Earth Summit Rio +20 – Brazil. World Conservation Congress (WCC) International Union for Conservation of Nature Jeju, South of Korea. Change nation in Ireland.
World Exhibition Shanghai in China.
World Nature Summit - Convention on Biological Diversity, World Nature Summit, Nagoya, Japan. World Congress Ashoka, Paris on social entrepreneurship.
International Conferences at European Union level