Born  in  1950 in The Netherlands, Ronald van Dijk studied agricultural engineering (BSc  1971) and  social  anthropology at the universities of Amsterdam and Leyden  (BA,  1975)  sociology (MA with honours, 1981) and later economics, planning and financing at the London School (MSc 1991).

His  professional  career  commenced  in  1977  in  Tunisia with research in traditional  health care  among peasants; he lived two years as an 'adopted family member'  with  the Mansouri tribe. Upon return to The Netherlands a research project was instigated on health behaviour among migrant labour.

From 1984 he worked in North Yemen as social researcher in the central western highlands.  He spent the first few years in an isolated mountain village before moving to the provincial headquarters as Chief of Party of the programme.

In 1990 he went to the London School for post-graduate training. During those years Ronald returned once to Yemen for a project evaluation, and also went to Uganda for evaluation of the health care system.

His next assignment was in Liberia for UNICEF, which started December 1991 with the task of building a new health programme and emergency health and nutrition response.  Progress was made till the war broke out again in 1992.  The emergency programme was intensified and adjusted to operate under circumstances of actual warfare. After three months a cease fire allowed cross-line missions and assistance behind 'enemy' lines. In 1994 however, the war flared up for the second time forcing the team to rely again on "hit and run" interventions.

In 1995 he was transferred to Mozambique to partake in the UNICEF programme supporting the 'post-war' rehabilitation.

Since 1999 he has worked on the UNICEF Pacific programme.