Upcoming events

Participants will learn about and apply the major theories concerning risk analysis, risk coping strategies and resilience, and will be supported in developing their own research in topics related to risk in agriculture. The course deals with both conceptual and methodological issues, and presents various empirical applications with data and code.

The course focuses on interactions between plants, insects, and microbes, but also delves a little into the chemical communication of vertebrates and even humans and covers evolutionary processes, physiological and chemical methods, as well as new and upcoming applications

This course will give insights into, and practical experience in, data visualisation for exploring complex and multi-dimensional biological data.

We are planning to revive the existing Agroecosystems discussion group, which is part of the PE&RC graduate school. The group aims to discuss a wide range of topics, including the application of production ecology and systems theory in various contexts worldwide, from both a bio-physical and socio-economic perspective, at the levels of the field, the farm (or household), and the farming system.

This Summer school is organized by the Saclay Plant Sciences (SPS) network, one of the largest European plant sciences communities and will be hosted by the cytology and imaging platform of the Institut Jean Pierre Bourgin - Plant Sciences in Versailles.Microscopy is a fundamental tool for understanding the functioning of plants at the cellular to molecular scale. Recent technological advances now make it possible to address new scientific questions

This year we will be hosting our Bioinformatics Academic Year Closing again! Please join us at NIOO on Monday 30th of June 2025 to celebrate the end of the academic year and the start of the summer holidays.

The 4th edition of the advanced biorefinery course is aimed at designing optimal multi-product algae-based biorefinery processes. The topic will span from unit operations to the entire process chain, for both research and commercial applications, with emphasis on current bottlenecks. This edition will focus on both micro- and macroalgae (seaweed), with parallels being drawn between the processing of these substrates and additional ones such as industrial agri-food sidestreams. The course will consist of lectures from academic and industrial experts, case studies and practicals.

This course provides the essential skills for designing microalgae-based production processes, for both research and commercial purposes.

The 12th international workshop on molecular biology and genetics of the lepidoptera will be held at the Orthodox Academy of Crete in Kolympari (also spelled Kolymbari), Crete, Greece, from 6 until 12 July 2025.

We would like to cordially invite you to the 11th European Symposium on Plant Lipids (ESPL 2025) in Bonn, Germany, from 6-10 July 2025. The European Symposium on Plant Lipids (ESPL) is an international conference with a focus on lipid synthesis, function and biotechnology in plants and algae.The ESPL conferences are organized every two years and help to connect scientists within a global network. Expert scientists including postdocs and Ph.D. students from all over the world will gather to present their most recent results on lipid biochemistry and enzymology, function in cellular and physiological processes, and application of lipids in biotechnology.

In this summer school you will explore the intrinsic links between freshwater ecosystems and services for societies and discuss how to ensure the sustainable and equitable management of freshwater resources. You will gain insight into different global paradigms of sustainable ecosystem management, explore actions and policies to support aquatic resources, and compare examples of management outcomes through lectures, debates, and group discussions.This summer school has been developed through a special collaboration between the University of California at Davis in the USA and IHE Delft Institute for Water Education in the Netherlands. PhD candidates qualify for a 50% discount.

In this course you examine different approaches to coping with climate change, from international agreements to climate actions by companies, cities and individual citizens. Each class, we delve into different topics and challenges, ranging from the history of climate change governance, to how we adapt to perhaps irreversible climate-induced effects in an equitable way. We also critically engage with questions around responsibility and accountability for and in the climate crisis. Theory is mixed with practice throughout a set of interactive lectures, where discussions, games and excursions are used to provide concrete examples of how the issue is being addressed at various levels and by various actors. Along the way we invite you to question scientists, policymakers and lobbyists. As an outcome, you will be equipped not only with current insights on how to govern the problem at multiple levels, but also with concrete positive examples of how change can actually work.

As a future scientist in the life sciences, it is important that PhD students have an insight into the debates around the relationship between human beings, animals, and nature, to understand their meaning and to learn to participate in these debates. This course will provide students with a systematic overview of the key topics of animal and environmental ethics. Specific attention is given to the ethical assessment of animal experiments and the tension between individualist animal ethics and collectivist environmental ethics. Attention is also given to the cultural background of normativity and the ethical aspects of the PhD students’ own research projects.

Global food systems face unprecedented challenges, from biodiversity loss to climate-driven disruptions. Bridging ecological principles with food production is critical to fostering resilience and sustainability. This summer school equips participants with transdisciplinary strategies to address these challenges, integrating ecological science, food systems thinking, and practical innovation. By merging theory with real-world applications, you will learn to design solutions that harmonise food security with ecological integrity.

The 2025 iDiv summer school will provide participants with a hands-on experience in applying latest deep learning and computer vision techniques to ecological and biodiversity studies. The participants will be introduced to the theoretical foundations of deep learning and its applications in ecological research. In addition, hands-on sessions will allow participants to deepen their understanding by working with real-world examples. These practical exercises will focus on using deep learning libraries, as well as building, training, and evaluating deep learning models for ecological tasks. The summer school is aimed at MSc students and doctoral researchers. Participants from regions often underrepresented in science can apply for funding. Deadline for applications is 28 February 2025.

There are only several spots available for the very first edition of the Bèta in Bestuur en Beleid (STEM in Governance & Policy) Summer School, which will take place from 25 to 29 August 2025 at Kasteel Spelderholt in Beekbergen. Are you considering a switch to the public sector and do you want to discover how you can make an impact in policy and governance as a beta? Then register via this link no later than 27 April! (Keep in mind that the programme will be in Dutch)

This conference welcomes scientists from all over the world working on and for the transformation of agricultural systems, with the aim to accelerate the development of healthy and sustainable agrifood systems. There is a need for radical shifts in the world’s agricultural systems so that they can face current and future challenges. Registration: from 1 April 2025 to 30 June 2025.

Carbon farming is proposed as a solution. Carbon farming designates any agricultural management practice resulting in carbon sequestration in soils or vegetation, and the business model should allow farming to get paid for each ton of carbon sequestered. One approach – soil carbon sequestration - to solve the climate crisis and revert environmental degradation caused by agriculture while feeding a growing world population… is that too good to be true?

The EPS Summer school “Plant Development” is a three-days programme for enthusiastic PhD students and postdocs with a strong interest in Plant Development. Attendance is restricted to 45 participants. The programme includes presentations of keynote speakers, participants, poter presentations and team assignments. You will also have time to talk to the keynote speakers about career development and networking.

Effective behaviour means getting the best out of yourself. This is achieved by understanding your own strengths and weaknesses and continually striving to improve and grow, both professionally and personally. In this interactive course you develop personal and professional leadership skills to successfully work on your PhD project and beyond.

This is an advanced PhD course which aims to help the participant explore and understand the ease and benefit of combining the complex (spatial) data science and AI methods and techniques with the powerful capabilities of ArcGIS platform (Esri). This course explores state-of-the-art principles, methods, and techniques related to data science and artificial intelligence applications in relation to the Environmental Sciences’ major topics.

It is with great enthusiasm that we announce the upcoming Food System Microbiomes 2025 International Conference! This second conference will explore the interconnectedness of microbiomes across food systems and their critical roles in addressing global challenges. It will be held in place in Wageningen, known as the “City of Life Sciences” from 25-28 November 2025.

The course aims to familiarize participants with the integrated, interdisciplinary approach required in modern biotechnology. Microbial physiologists, metabolic engineers and (bio)process engineers from the faculty staff, together with invited international experts from other universities and industry, will offer a combination of lectures, exercises and demonstration experiments.

Each year around 450 representatives of the Dutch plant scientist community meet each other for a two day meeting. This meeting welcomes junior and senior research from academics and industry and offers an excellent opportunity to hear the latest scientific developments and to network.

The Local Organizing Committee on behalf of the Global Soil Biodiversity Initiative (GSBI), and supported by the Biological Survey of Canada, takes pleasure in inviting you to participate in the 4th Global Soil Biodiversity Conference being held in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada from April 12 to 15, 2026.