Willem Vogelsang (born 1956 in Medemblik) was the deputy director of the International Institute for Asian Studies at the University of Leiden in the Netherlands.
He was also lieutenant colonel in the Dutch armed forces as Project Coordinator for Cultural Affairs, part of the Civil Military Cooperation (CIMIC).
During his studies, he spent time in Iran, Syria and Afghanistan, where he conducted archaeological fieldwork, notably in the Afghan province of Kandahar.
During those years, he travelled widely in the Middle East, most notably in Iran, where, together with his wife, Dr. Gillian Vogelsang-Eastwood, he conducted a survey of local clothing traditions.
In June 2008, Vogelsang was appointed by the Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs as the Regional and Cultural Advisor for the Dutch Embassy in Kabul, to be based in Uruzgan, South Afghanistan.