Introduction to Wageningen University & Research
Wageningen University & Research (WUR) is one of the top-ranked universities in the world. According to influential university rankings and citation indexes, the university ranks world’s best in the field of Agriculture & Forestry.
Why choose Wageningen University & Research?
Besides the global reputation for its innovative and ground-breaking research, Wageningen University & Research has an internationally recognised PhD Programme (international Peer review 2015 and EUA Peer review 2015). Various reasons can be mentioned for the recognised reputation:
- The learning targets of the PhD programme, proving academic independence and acquiring T-shaped skills offer an excellent base for starting a scientific career or an alternative career as a higher academic in society. This is confirmed by the high employment rate of recent PhD graduates and the career trajectory of Wageningen PhD alumni.
- The PhD programme is supported by six Graduate Schools. Graduate Schools support the PhD candidates in their PhD programme by controlling quality, facilitating progress where needed and supporting the PhD candidate in reaching the learning targets obtaining T-shaped skills by offering an array of PhD courses and other training activities.
- Both the university’s PhD programme and the six Graduate Schools have got a strong international character. More than half of our PhD candidates come from over 100 countries
Mission, vision and domain of Wageningen University & Research
To explore the potential of nature to improve the quality of life.
This is the mission of Wageningen University & Research, a research institution that focuses on the domain ‘healthy food and living environment’. It is driven by the desire to understand and to contribute to the world’s challenges and the transitions that lie before us where the entire chain of knowledge is encompassed: from curiosity-driven fundamental research to science-based practical knowledge to create solutions that have impact. This means that the research very often is interdisciplinary, including collaboration with societal partners.
In our domain of healthy food and living environment, we distinguish three related, partly overlapping core areas:
- Food, feed and bio-based production
- Natural resources and living environment
- Society and well-being
Vision of the PhD Programme
The WGS vision for the PhD programme at Wageningen University & Research (WUR) serves as a guideline for further development of policies and practices for the coming years, as part of the ongoing process of improving, adapting and organising the PhD programme. In the document the response to new developments and challenges while simultaneously safeguarding our current strengths is described.