Opening Academic Year 2024-2025

Wageningen University & Research annually celebrates the Opening of the Academic Year. Renowned speakers share their views on a current topic. On 2 September, the 106th Opening of the Academic Year, 2024-2025, took place. This year's theme was The Water-Food Connection: Ensuring Future Food Security.

Opening Academic Year 2024-2025 | The Water-Food Connection: Ensuring Future Food Security

On Monday 2 September 2024 from 16:00 - 17:30 hrs, Wageningen University & Research celebrated the Opening of the Academic Year 2024-2025 in Omnia at Wageningen Campus and online.

The availability of water for agriculture is jeopardised by our changing climate. Globally we increasingly see that droughts or flooding threatens food production. In large parts of Asia, for example, agriculture strongly relies on irrigation using meltwater from Himalayan glaciers. In the long term, the effect of climate change on these glaciers may affect the food security of two billion people, but where exactly and to what extent? How can legislation and policy address this, not only there, but also here in Europe and other parts of the world? Two Wageningen researchers demonstrated how the answers to these questions are interconnected and how water plays a crucial role in ensuring food security.

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Photo's: Guy Ackermans

More about food and water security at WUR

Programme Opening Academic Year 2024-2025

15:00 Welcoming reception and registration
15:55 Start live stream
16:00 The Water-Food Connection: Ensuring Future Food Security
• Welcome and introduction by Dr ir. Sjoukje Heimovaara | President
• The third pole's value for food by Dr Hester Biemans
• Intermezzo
• Too much, too little: Prepare now for future water extremes by Dr Wieke Pot
• Official Opening of the Academic Year by Prof.dr Carolien Kroeze | Rector Magnificus
17:30 Drinks