Wageningen University and Research Centre

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Wageningen University and Research Centre
Wageningen Universiteit en Researchcentrum
Wageningenuniversity.gif
Motto For quality of life
Established 1918
Type state
Rector Martin Kropff
Executive Board President Aalt Dijkhuizen
Admin. staff 6500 total (including 185 full professors)
Students 9600
Undergraduates 2300 (university), (4000 Van Hall Larenstein)
Postgraduates 2200
Doctoral students 1100
Location Wageningen, Netherlands
Student nationalities 101 (44% of the postgraduates)
Website www.wur.nl

Wageningen University and Research Centre (also known as Wageningen UR; abbreviation: WUR) is a Dutch public university in Wageningen, The Netherlands. It consists of Wageningen University, the Van Hall-Larenstein School of Higher Professional Education, and the former agricultural research institutes (Dienst Landbouwkundig Onderzoek) of the Dutch Ministry of Agriculture. Wageningen UR trains specialists (BSc, MSc and PhD) in life sciences and focuses its research on scientific, social and commercial problems in the field of life sciences and natural resources. In the field of agricultural science, the university is considered world-class.[1]

Contents

[edit] Wageningen University

Aula of Wageningen University
Building sign of WUR

Wageningen University was established in 1918 and is the successor to the Agricultural School founded there in 1876.

Wageningen University offers undergraduate and professional degrees, including doctorates. The university has about 6,000 students from 105 countries. Its core focus is the life and agricultural sciences. It is a member of the Euroleague for Life Sciences (ELLS) university network.

[edit] ECTS-Label

Wageningen University was the first Dutch University or school that was allowed to use the ECTS label. This label is awarded by the European Commission and guarantees the quality of the study programme. An important consideration is that the University consequently applies the European Credit Transfer System; this promotes the mobility of students within Europe and prevents study delay. The label is an acknowledgment of the international character of the University. Out of 56 European applications in 2005, only 3 ECTS labels were awarded.

[edit] BSc programmes

Wageningen University offers 18 BSc programmes (2005-2006). The language of instruction is partly Dutch, partly English. For some BSc programmes the language of instruction is English. The programmes start each year in September, they last three years and consist of 180 ECTS credits. The programmes are in the field of economy & society, health, life sciences & technology, nature & environment, animals & plants.

Panorama of the greenhouse of the Lumen building
The Biotechnion building, where the Food and Nutrition departments are situated

Economy and society

  • Business and consumer studies
  • Economics and policy
  • International development studies

Health

  • Health and society
  • Nutrition and health

Technology

Nature and environment

  • Soil, water and atmosphere
  • Forest and nature conservation
  • International land and water management
  • Landscape architecture and spatial planning
  • Environmental sciences

Animals and plants

  • Biology
  • Biological Production Sciences
  • Animal sciences
  • Plant sciences

[edit] MSc programmes

Wageningen University offers a 28 different MSc programmes (2011-2012)[2]. The language of instruction is English. The programmes start each year in September, they last two years and consist of 120 ECTS credits. Most programmes offer various specialisations and possibilities for majors.

  • Agricultural and Bioresource Engineering
  • Animal Sciences
  • Aquaculture and Marine Resource Management
  • Bioinformatics
  • Biology
  • Biotechnology
  • Climate Studies
  • Communication Science
  • Development and Rural Innovation
  • Earth and Environment
  • Environmental Sciences
  • European Masters Degree in Food Studies
  • Food Quality Management
  • Food Safety
  • Food Technology
  • Forest and Nature Conservation
  • Geo-information Science
  • Hydrology and Water Quality
  • International Development Studies
  • International Land and Water Management
  • Landscape Architecture and Planning
  • Leisure, Tourism and Environment
  • Management, Economics and Consumer Studies
  • Meteorology and Air Quality
  • Molecular Life Sciences
  • Nutrition and Health
  • Organic Agriculture
  • Public Health and Society (independent specialisation under Management, Economics and Consumer Studies)
  • Plant Biotechnology
  • Plant Sciences
  • Soil Science (now Earth and Environment)
  • Urban Environmental Management

[edit] PhD programme

The PhD programme is a four-year programme which consists of a research component and a smaller education component. To apply for a PhD position, the applicant must contact one of six the Graduate Schools of Wageningen University[3]. In order to guarantee adequate supervision, the research subject must fit in the research programme of a Graduate School. The four-year PhD programme consists of a research component (conducting research under supervision and writing a thesis) and a smaller education component (up to 15% of the total PhD time). Upon completion of PhD programme, the PhD student is expected to be:

  • Able to function as an independent scientist.
  • Able to integrate his or her own work in the theoretical framework of his or her discipline in a broader area of research and able to communicate this in a scientific or general setting.
  • Competent in identifying priority areas of research and in formulating questions and experimental hypotheses pertinent to this research.

[edit] Research Institutes

The following research institutes are part of Wageningen UR :

  • Agricultural Economics Research Institute (LEI Wageningen UR)
  • Agrotechnology & Food Sciences Group (AFSG)
  • Alterra - Research Institute for the Green World (ALTERRA)
  • International Institute for Land Reclamation and Improvement (ILRI)
  • Animal Sciences Group (ASG)
  • Applied Plant Research (PPO)
  • Central Institute for Animal Disease Control (CIDC-Lelystad)
  • Centre for Development Innovation (CDI)
  • Plant Research International (PRI)
  • RIKILT-Institute of Food Safety
Panorama of the campus of Wageningen University with the Forum, Gaia, Lumen and Atlas buildings on the left, the sport center in the foreground, and the northeastern part of Wageningen on the right.

[edit] Van Hall-Larenstein School of Higher Professional Education

The Van Hall-Larenstein School was formed out of a merger of the Van Hall Instituut and Larenstein, School of Professional Education.

Van Hall Larenstein offers 14 bachelor’s degree programmes and 6 professional master’s degree programmes to a total of 4,400 students of 20 nationalities. The study programmes are mainly in Dutch.

[edit] Rankings

In the 2011 Times Higher Education World University Rankings[4] Wageningen University was ranked 75th overall in the world. In the THE life sciences ranking, Wageningen was ranked 17th, being the highest placed life sciences university in continental Europe [5].

In the more specialised Higher Education Evaluation & Accreditation Council of Taiwan [6] Wageningen University is ranked second in the field of agriculture, behind the University of California, Davis.

The Shanghai Index ranks Wageningen University as number 37 in the field of Life Sciences and Agriculture [7]

[edit] Student activities and associations

Nitocra is the study association for students International land and water management.

WSBV Sylvatica is the study Association for students Forest and Nature conservation.

De Veetelers is the study association for Animal Sciences students. The name means "Animal Breeders". It was founded in 1962.

StEL is the study Association for Organic Agriculture students.

Semper Florens is the study Association for Plant Scientists and Plant Biotechnologists.

Nicolas Appert is the study Association for Food Technology students. It was founded on 6 September 1962, and was named after the French food scientist Nicolas Appert.

Mercurius is the study Association for Consumer studies. It was founded in 2000.

Ipso Facto is the study Association for International Development students.

Heeren XVII is the study Association for Agrotechnology students. It was founded on 1 April 1965.

Genius Loci is the study Association for students Landscape Architecture and Spatial Planning. The name reflects the atmosphere of a certain place. It was founded on February 15, 1990 after the merger of two older study programmes.

Di-Et-Tri is the study Association for Nutrition and health students.

CODON is the study Asscociation for all Biotechnology students. Established by the first students of Bioprocesstechnology on 16 September 1991. At that time the association carried the name "BiPS" which was later changed to CODON. The association's main language is English.

B.V.W. 'Biologica' is the study Association for all Biology Students.

M.S.V. Alchimica is the study association for students Molecular Life Sciences. For over 35 years it has been organising different activities for its members.

Pyrus is the study association for students Soil, water and atmosphere.

Licere is the study association for the students of the MSc Leisure, Tourism and Environment. It was founded in 2006 and its name means 'Leisure time' in Latin.

Aktief Slip is the study association for students participating in the study programmes Milieukunde (BMK), Environmental Sciences (MES) and Urban Environmental Management (MUE). The name is in Dutch and originates from the bacteria containing material (active sludge), that is used to clean water, soil and air. It was founded in 1966.

[edit] Notable alumni (including present or former employees)

[edit] See also

[edit] References

  1. ^ [1] public access to this webpage is not authorized
  2. ^ http://www.wageningenuniversity.nl/UK/informationfor/stud-eu/
  3. ^ http://www.wageningenuniversity.nl/UK/research/Graduate+schools/
  4. ^ http://www.timeshighereducation.co.uk/world-university-rankings/2011-2012/europe.html
  5. ^ http://www.timeshighereducation.co.uk/world-university-rankings/2011-2012/life-sciences.html
  6. ^ http://taiwanranking.lis.ntu.edu.tw/DataPage/TOP300.aspx?query=Agriculture
  7. ^ http://www.shanghairanking.com/FieldLIFE2011.html

[edit] External links

Coordinates: 51°58′01.52″N 5°39′30.97″E / 51.9670889°N 5.6586028°E / 51.9670889; 5.6586028

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