
Department of Social Sciences
Connecting various science disciplines and perspectives: that’s the power of the Department of Social Sciences (DSS) of Wageningen University & Research. At the Department of Social Sciences 21 chair groups study and come up with solutions on how to change or improve systems, practices and behaviour, and how to build support in society that is more equal, more sustainable and healthier. This is how we contribute to designing a better future.
Online magazine

WURld of Social Sciences
As the Department of Social Sciences we are here to create impact, in this magazine we show some examples of how we’ve done that to date.
Sections
The Department of Social Sciences hosts 21 research chair groups, clustered in 5 thematic section groups:
Business Science
We aim to scientifically contribute to sustainable as well as profitable business performance, together with stakeholders, in national and international agrifood value chains. By applying their knowledge of agrifood business, our chair groups contribute to healthy agriculture, healthy agrifoodbusinesses, and healthy people.
Communication, Philosophy, Technology and Education (CPTE)
The Section CPTE (Communication, Philosophy, Technology and Education) researches transformations in life science domains such as agriculture, climate, and environment, and advances societal engagement with these transformations. It does so from an inclusive, process-oriented, empirical, critical and reflexive perspective.
Section Economics
We aim to be a key player in research and education on economics of sustainable development. We aspire to produce output that is both socially and academically relevant.
Space, Place and Society
Section Space, Place and Society (SPS) focuses on issues of socio-spatial and environmental justice. With a special attention to questions of social inequality, exclusion, difference and plurality, we aspire to translate critical-constructive knowledge into practical and political action in pursuit of a more just, sustainable and healthy world.
Wageningen Centre of Sustainability Governance
The Wageningen Centre of Sustainability Governance (WCSG) is an interdisciplinary group of governance scholars contributing knowledge on the design, functioning and implications of sustainability governance arrangements in the Wageningen domain of food, nature and environment.