The central mission of PE&RC is: Understanding the functioning of natural and managed ecosystems, to improve the quality of life.

The mission involves research on sustainable agro-production, biodiversity, one health, the bio-based economy, land dynamics and multifunctional land use. Ecosystems studied range from intensive agricultural production systems (e.g. greenhouses) to extensive semi-natural systems (e.g. agroforests and pastoral systems), to natural systems (e.g. wetlands, savannas, tropical forests and natural, protected areas). The cornerstones of our research are bio- and geosciences where we collaborate closely with social and economic sciences.

The ambition is to be at the forefront of the scientific field it operates in. It achieves this by strengthening a coherent overall research framework that tackles both fundamental and societally relevant scientific challenges within its mission. Given the global nature of the issues PE&RC addresses, we foster a comprehensive international network within which we develop, coordinate and facilitate a state-of-the-art training progamme for PhD candidates and post-doctoral fellows.

The main tasks of PE&RC are:

• To develop and coordinate education and training for PhD candidates, postdocs and academic staff;
• To safeguard and improve the quality of academic research (PhD candidates, postdocs and academic staff);
• To stimulate the development of a coherent academic research programme within the domain of its mission and to act as a national platform thereof;

• To establish and strengthen collaboration with international organisations working in our domain, by developing a joint postgraduate course portfolio and setting up an exchange programme for staff, postdocs and PhD candidates.