The 15 vacancies for Early Stage Researchers in Sustainable Place Shaping at six host universities are still open for application till October 7th (midnight). More information can be found at a previous blog posted here: SUSPLACE Programme vacancies: 15 Early Stage Research positions at six universities. Information and hyperlinks to the recruitment sites of the respective host universities have been updated.
Course Global sense of place in period 2
The course RSO-55306 A Global Sense of Place starts soon, so please register if you are interested to follow this. It is an optional interdisciplinary course on sustainable place-based development for students from various master programmes (e.g. MDR, MES, MID, MLP, MUE, MOA, MFN). The course builds on the BSc course RSO-56806 Sociology and Anthropology of Place-shaping providing an introduction to place-based approaches in development. Knowledge of this introductory course is an advantage, but is not assumed. The course aims to make students acquainted with an interdisciplinary and place-based approach to development.
A relational place-based approach is seen as key to the understanding of interrelated rural and urban transformation processes and ergo sustainable development. In a relational approach places are considered as contingent but in time and space differentiated outcomes of three interrelated interdependent and unbounded transformative processes: political-economic, ecological and social-cultural. Places are time and space specific constructs, like their boundaries and connections.
By means of this course students will achieve profound understanding in key-concepts and methods on place-based sustainable development. Work from key thinkers in sustainable place-making will be critically discussed and examined on the basis of various cases. Guest speakers are invited to reflect on place-based approaches to sustainable development and illustrate these through case studies. Ultimately students will acquire a place-based perspective on development.
Main themes of the course
Central to a place-based approach is the conceptions of place as: 1) Arenas for negotiation, conflicting interests and power struggles; 2) Endowed with meaning and the constitution of identities, subjectivities and difference.
Different interdisciplinary themes will be addressed such as:
- a relational approach of place and space;
- key thinkers on place and space;
- politics of place;
- community development;
- cultural approaches of place-based development
- ‘the human dimension’, encompassing collaboration and leadership
- ‘defence’ of places and conflicts
For more information, you can contact lummina.horlings@wur.nl
Farm Experience Internship 2015
By Lucie Sovová and Elske Hageraats (FEI coordinators ‘Stichting Boerengroep’).
Farm Experience Internship 2015
The Farm Experience Internship (FEI) is a 3ECTS summer course on agroecology that offers the students to get hands on experience from organic and bio-dynamic farms in the Netherlands. This year it took place from 20th of July till 14th of August. The main organizer of the course was Stichting Boerengroep with the academic support of the Rural Sociology Group. Continue reading
Future perspectives for farmers in Amstelland – Michelle Steggerda
By Michelle Steggerda, MSc Organic Agriculture Wageningen University
From March till July 2015 I’ve done my internship at the research institute Alterra. Alterra is part of Wageningen University and Research Centre and specializes in the ecology, the spatiality and the governance of green spaces. My assignment was to conduct a research about the future perspectives for farmers in Amstelland, a peri-urban but still predominant agricultural area located south of Amsterdam. This was part of a larger project for the Wageningen UR Science Shop on behalf of the civil society organisation Stichting Beschermers Amstelland. Continue reading
Student Exchange with Kyoto University
The Kyoto University (KU), Japan and Wageningen University (WU) have agreed to a BSc and MSC Student Mobility Agreement. Under the agreement, it is possible for students of both universities to follow courses at the partner university. For students at WU any academic credit earned at the KU will be transferred back to WU, and vice versa. For students in Wageningen, the agreement gives the great opportunity to follow courses in comparative development studies, Asian studies, and transcultural studies in one of the oldest and most beautiful cities in Japan. Founded in 1897, Kyoto University belongs to the world’s top universities. Students at Kyoto University have the opportunity to follow courses at Wageningen University, a top university in the life sciences and development studies.
Students who are interested in studying at KU can contact Joost Jongerden for more info (joost.jongerden@wur.nl, Leeuwenborch room 3027).
Rural Sociology Wageningen University 