SUSPLACE Programme vacancies: 15 Early Stage Research positions at six universities

Posted on August 13, 2015 by Ina Horlings

SUSPLACE is a Marie Curie Actions Initial Training Network funded by the European Commission that will kick-off October 1, 2015. SUSPLACE aims to train 15 Early Stage Researchers (ESR) in innovative, interdisciplinary approaches to study sustainable place-shaping practices. These 15 ESR positions at six universities are now open for application till midnight October 7, 2015 (opening has been extended). See the list of the 15 individual research projects and host universities below.

The SUSPLACE approach will provide insight into how to utilize the full potential of places and communities for development and help to build capacities of people to engage in place-shaping processes and thus strengthen connectivity between policy-makers, academics, businesses and civil society.

Continue reading →

Marie Curie programme SUSPLACE will kick-off October 1 2015

Posted on August 12, 2015 by Ina Horlings

Our Marie Curie Action Initial Training Network Programme SUSPLACE (Sustainable place-shaping) will be funded by the EU-commission and kick-off October 1, 2015. SUSPLACE has a budget of €3,8 million and offers a three year position for 15 Early Stage Researchers. Ina Horlings and Dirk Roep will coordinate SUSPLACE.

The overall aim of the SUSPLACE programme is to train 15 Early Stage Researchers (ESR) in innovative, interdisciplinary approaches to study sustainable place-shaping practices. Vacancies for these 15 ESR positions will be published midst of August at this blog and the respective websites of the host universities.

The SUSPLACE approach will provide insight into how to utilize the full potential of places and communities for development and help to build capacities of people to engage in place-shaping processes and thus strengthen connectivity between policy-makers, academics, businesses and civil society. Sustainable place-shaping is seen as a way to strengthen the participation, collaboration, collective agency, self-efficacy and leadership of people, engaging in places. Continue reading →

International Masters in Rural Development: Field Visit to Soc Trang Province, Vietnam

Posted on August 11, 2015 by FoodGovernance

Food Governance

As I explained last week, I am representing the Rural Sociology Group in a case study summer programme organized by Can Tho University’s Mekong Delta Development Research Institute.

Meeting with district representatives of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development

On Friday, August 7^th, the Case Study group visited two areas in the Soc Trang province of Vietnam. The first stop was a visit to a district office of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development. Here, students and staff were able to ask officials questions related to their selected research topics and interests. One policy initiative we learnt about was a plan to increase the number of dairy cows in rural areas as a poverty reduction strategy. This programme stems from the national Agricultural Restructuring Plan where key crops and animals were identified, dairy cows being one of them.

Pigs for bio gas and food

From…

View original post 308 more words

Mekon Delta Case Study: Agricultural transformation in developing countries under contexts of urbanization and climate change

Posted on August 6, 2015 by FoodGovernance

Welcome to Can Tho University

For the month of August the Mekong Delta Development Research Institute (MDI) is hosting a summer school case study on Agricultural transformation in developing countries under contexts of urbanization and climate change- the case of the Vietnamese Mekong Delta, for the International Master of Science in Rural Development (IMRD) programme from Ghent University. Wageningen’s Rural Sociology Group is involved in the IMRD programme and as a result, I was able to come and participate in a supportive capacity for the first two weeks.

Case Study Participants at Can Tho University

About the Mekong Delta Development Research Institute (MDI)

MDI is an interdisciplinary organization of Can Tho University (Can Tho, Vietnam). It was established in 2005 from the Mekong Delta Farming Systems Research and Development Institute. MDI has the mission to “improve life quality of rural people and ensure socio-economic and environmental sustainability of the Mekong Delta through collaborative education, research and development activities”. It also has four research programmes:

Food security
Agriculture resources management
Rural development
Climate change, adaptation and mitigation.

Visiting a collection of farming and aquaculture tools

Boating on the Mekong River

Continue reading →

Reflections on the ‘Resource Revolution’ excursion by RUW

Posted on August 3, 2015 by Aniek Hebinck

By: Fabian Kemps Verhage – WUR-student and participant of the ‘Resource Revolution’ Excursion.

Who can Lease me a Pair of Shoes?

During the RUW-excursion ‘Resource Revolution’ to Berlin and Leipzig I discussed with a friend how we could make our society more sustainable. We concluded that it would be a good start if people would only buy those things that they really needed, meaning those products and services that substantially improved their well-being. Effective shampoo and long-lasting jeans would fall under that category, but cranberry-extract shampoo and fast-fashion jeans would not. We wondered whether our society would be more sustainable if people would only buy those things they came up with by themselves (e.g. “Ah, my feet are cold. I need a good pair of shoes”), instead of being driven into purchases by marketing (e.g. “Wow, these new sneakers are so cool! I really want to buy them.”

Students during RUW’s Resource Revolution (Source: @Mbr_EvO; Erik-Jan van Oosten)

Continue reading →