About WIAS

The objective of WIAS is to train PhD candidates to become professionally skilled animal scientists with strong theoretical background. We aim to reach this goal by offering advanced education, opportunities for reflection on the scientific profession, and by giving PhD candidates the opportunity to communicate their research to the national and international scientific community.

WIAS enhances, supports and monitors the progress and quality of the PhD candidate programme and safeguards and monitors the quality of the research from early-stage researchers. 

Research

WIAS research contributes to the understanding the biology of animals, their ecology and to contribute to environmentally sustainable animal production systems, where animal health and welfare are guiding principles. It focuses on the performance of animals in nature and in food production systems and on transforming the latter systems to become more nature inclusive, climate smart, healthy, and circular (terrestrial and aquatic). In order to achieve this, WIAS researchers investigate the biological mechanisms of animals functioning in an evolutionary and ecological context at multiple levels, from molecule to individuals, their natural environment and (production) system.

WIAS focusses on three interrelated, partially overlapping focus areas. 1. Animal welfare in sustainable food systems; 2. Human and animal health in mutual interaction; 3. Animals in biodiversity and ecosystems. The three focus areas address different aspects of the basic functioning of animals, animal and human health, animal ecology, animal welfare and resilience and the transition of animal production chains towards sustainable food systems. The topics within the focus areas are mutually interwoven, such that each topic is supported by the knowledge developed in the other two areas.

Collaborations

WIAS stimulates collaboration across chair groups, not only within a single focus area but also across focus areas, on key questions requiring interdisciplinary and transdisciplinary approaches. We emphasise the alignment and complementarity between these areas as this is where many new insights and applications are generated by pursuing an integrated approach, with the aim of contributing to the major societal challenges within our domain.
To achieve these aims, WIAS needs powerful national and international partnerships. This is why we collaborate with leading universities and research institutes in our domain. We also connect with government agencies, public bodies, industry and NGOs at both the national and international level as future employers of our alumni and key stakeholders in our research. 

Within Wageningen University & Research, we collaborate with other graduate schools and research institutes to tackle interdisciplinary cross-domain challenges. The offices of the Wageningen Graduate Schools collaborate to enable an efficient workflow and fully exploit the opportunities that these schools collectively offer in the training of early-stage researchers at Wageningen University.