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About WIMEK

Our research community

WIMEK hosts around 450 PhD candidates and 150 fellows of 15 chair groups across all science groups in Wageningen. WIMEK researchers address pressing environmental challenges and sustainable solutions with local to global significance. WIMEK has identified three major environmental challenges:

  • Climate action: Towards fair and effective solutions for climate change mitigation and adaptation
  • Managing our future biosphere: Developing strategies for the sustainable use of soil, water, atmosphere, biodiversity, ecosystems and landscapes
  • Advancing circular systems: Innovation towards closed water, nutrient, and material flow 

To address these challenges, WIMEK researchers conduct both fundamental disciplinary research and innovative inter- and transdisciplinary. WIMEK research focuses on the ecological, chemical, physical and socio-economic processes and their interactions with each other and society. 

Chairgroups

What we do

WIMEK organizes the training of PhD candidates and postdocs to see them become independent researchers. Together with the support of WIMEK (staff)members, we set up a base of good education for scientists. In this way we aim to develop an integrated understanding of environmental change and its impacts on quality of life and sustainability, and in the process offer solutions for environmental improvement.

WIMEK empowers PhD candidates at Wageningen University in their personal and scientific growth by guides them in creating impact through their research and encourages them to reflect on their role as scientists in society. WIMEK offers an enabling scientific environment and access to a strong network of environmental and climate researchers. Additionally, WIMEK safeguards the quality, integrity and ethics of the PhD programme, and protects the rights and well-being of both PhD candidates and their supervisory teams.

WIMEK organisation

Office team

The WIMEK office (scientific director and staff) is responsible for maintaining an elaborate training and education programme and facilitating a challenging scientific research environment and network of environmental researchers. Please contact us for advice, support or with questions. You can contact for (contact details below):

  • Courses and TSP: Peter, Anouk, Elackiya
  • Research, fellowships and PhD proposals: Koen
  • Registrations: Alma
  • Transdisciplinary research and education: Jillian
  • Advice for PhD candidates: Peter, Elackiya
  • Advice for staff: Koen

WIMEK Board

The WIMEK board is responsible for the functioning and performance of the Graduate School. The Board decides on the strategy and policy and is in charge of the main decisions of WIMEK. The Director and the Secretary prepare and attend the meetings of the Board and so does a representative of the PhD candidates from the WIMEK PhD council. Current composition:

  • Maarten Krol – chair MAQ – chair WIMEK board
  • Martha Bakker – chair LSP
  • Simon Bush – chair ENP
  • Naresh Kumar – assistant prof SOC
  • Diana Machado de Sousa – prof MIB
  • Jeanne Nel – programme leader WEnR

International advisory board

The main task of the International Advisory Board is to give advice and critical guidance on strategic issues concerning the research and the educational programme of the Graduate School and to evaluate its performance. The IAB consists of six leading international scientists representing the various scientific fields of WIMEK.

PhD council

The WIMEK PhD Council represents all PhD candidates involved in the Graduate School WIMEK at Wageningen University. The main aims of the council are to provide PhD candidates with all the information relevant to their work at the University and to strongly work together on solving problems regarding education, supervision and planning that PhD candidates might face during their research project.

The current composition and more detailed information of the WIMEK council can be found here.

Contact us

Visiting address

WIMEK offices A324 and A325
GAIA, WUR building 101
Droevendaalsesteeg 3
6708PB Wageningen

WIMEK logo

WIMEK team

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