News
Rector Arthur Mol reappointed
The Supervisory Board of Wageningen University & Research (WUR) has reappointed prof.dr.ir. Arthur P.J. Mol for a period of almost one year as vice-president of the WUR Executive Board and as rector magnificus of Wageningen University. Mol has held these positions since 1 June 2015, and will serve until the Dies Natalis in 2024.
During the past eight years as Rector Magnificus, he dedicated himself to strengthening the financial educational and research contributions to the university and Wageningen Research and to maintaining and strengthening WUR's top position nationally and internationally. In doing so, Mol ensured the renewal of educational concepts, such as the combination of traditional classroom and lab education with online learning (blended learning), the introduction of online masters, and making academic education available and accessible to all through MOOCs and Lifelong Development. Mol also focussed on Open Science, making research, data and educational materials freely accessible, enabling more transparent, reliable, honest and accessible science. Mol also launched a new type of degree programme, the Engineering Doctorate.
Strengthening the quality of research resulted in the vigorous pursuit and recent renewal of tenure track. Establishing and leading collaborations were a major impetus including around the 4TU, the EWUU alliance with Eindhoven and Utrecht, the Association of European Life Science Universities ICA, the Euroleague for Life Sciences ELLS, the European Bioeconomy University and the Agrifood 5 Alliance. Recently, WUR's facilities were expanded with a new education building Aurora and a new auditorium, Omnia. Mol was also initiator of the joint research institutes AMS, OnePlanet and the recently launched Delta Climate Centre.
The environmentalist and sociologist Mol has held the Environmental Policy Chair since 2000. From 2009 to 2014, he was director of the Wageningen School of Social Sciences and also a member of the College of PhDs. In addition, he was a professor in China, Japan and Malaysia. His main research themes are globalization, ecological modernization, sustainable production and consumption, steering by information and urban environmental policy.