Dies Natalis | Invitation

Dies Natalis 2026 | WUR in the World: Past, Present, and Future
Date: Friday 6 March 2026 | 15:00-17:00 hrs
Location: Orion building at Wageningen Campus or online

Wageningen University & Research (WUR) will celebrate its Dies Natalis on Friday 6 March, under the theme ‘WUR in the World: Past, Present, and Future’. We will reflect on our place on the global stage and on our connection to the world around us.

Historian Larissa Schulte Nordholt will discuss and reflect on our colonial past. An honest look at this shared history is essential if we are to better understand our role today. With that awareness, we continue to build meaningful relationships with partners around the world.

Lecturer Bert Bruins and Professor Aarti Gupta will explore how WUR can shape its international role with clarity, ambition, and impact. Aarti will reflect on the current moment and the dilemmas of today: where are we already contributing, and where could our connection to the world be stronger? Bert will show how we educate responsible changemakers, and how education and research together can contribute to a fairer future.

This Dies Natalis will also highlight the strength of tomorrow. Two early career researchers will demonstrate how, as responsible changemakers, they are already making an impact through independent research addressing global challenges.

Register for the Dies Natalis and find more information, including the programme, at wur.eu/dies.

The official Dies Natalis celebration will be preceded by the pitches for the Research Award, organised by Wageningen Graduate Schools and made possible with support of University Fund Wageningen. More information on the programme of the Research Award will be available on the Research Award-webpagina.