Wageningen University & Research
The mission of
Wageningen University & Research is "To explore the potential of nature to improve the quality of life". Within Wageningen University & Research, nine specialised research institutes from the Wageningen Research Foundation and Wageningen University have joined forces to help answer the most important questions in the domain of healthy food and living environment.
With approximately 30 locations, 6,000 employees, and 12,000 students, Wageningen University & Research is one of the leading organisations in its domain worldwide. An integrated approach to problems and the cooperation between various disciplines are at the heart of the unique approach of Wageningen.
For further information about working at Wageningen University & Research, take a look at
thespecial career site.
Equal opportunities employerWe are an employer that offers equal opportunities. We are happy to receive applications from all suitably qualified people regardless of race, gender, functional impairment, religion / belief, sexual orientation or age.
We believe that a diverse and inclusive working environment makes us a more relevant, competitive and resilient organization. Click
here for more information about working at WUR with a functional impairment.
Farming Systems EcologyThe Farming Systems Ecology group focuses on the analysis and design of exemplar sustainable farming systems and foodscapes, that deliver multiple benefits to humankind, using natural processes as our bais for design.
The purpose of these exemplars is to guide the development of food systems towards our vision of a world in which:
all actors are inspired, knowledgeable, and skilled ...
to proactively and jointly develop food systems ...
that are abundant and equitable ...
by enhancing and benefitting from the natural capital...
of our communities, environments and planet.
Within this context, our mission is:
To equip the actors in the food system...
with the keys to unlock, redesign and transition farming systems...
by analysing, experiencing and learning from outstanding examples...
of farms and foodscapes around the world.
We uniquely combine a strong platform of simulation models with hands-on, empirical assessments of outstanding examples of sustainable farms and landscapes in all continents. Our multi-disciplinary team includes expertise in systems modelling, agro-ecology, agronomy, co-innovation, policy formation and immersive education.
In all our activities, we work in collaboration with a very wide and diverse network of research actors and external stakeholders. These include national, European and global research organisations (such as the CGIAR programmes), farmers, NGOs, industry and regional, national and EU policy makers. We lead and participate in a number of European Horizon 2020 projects, as well as numerous national and regional programmes. Our research facilities include field experiments at the university farm, while we are developing a global outdoor laboratory and classroom through our global network of lighthouse farms (
www.lighthousefarmnetwork.com ). We are developing Virtual Reality and Augmented Reality methods to bring these farms inside our classrooms and modelling platforms. We develop and deliver a wide range of courses for the WUR Masters in Organic Agriculture, for which we take the IFOAM Organic 3.0 strategy as our guide.