Wageningen University & Research

History, Affiliations and Rankings

Wageningen University & Research is a public university in Wageningen, the Netherlands, that focuses on technical and engineering topics and is a major centre for Life Science and Agricultural research. It is situated in the Food Valley region of the Netherlands. The history of Wageningen University & Research begins in 1876 when it was founded as a national agricultural college. In 1876, the state took over the local council's Agricultural College in Wageningen, marking the beginning of the Netherlands' National Agricultural Education. In 1918 the school became academic by law (Academic Education Act). The name changed to Rijks Landbouw Hoogeschool (National Agricultural College). When the DLO institutes merged with the university in 1997, the combined entity was renamed Wageningen UR (Wageningen University and Research Centre), with Wageningen University being the university's name. The University and the institutions have to remain independent legal entities under Dutch law. The university is affiliated with the Euroleague for Life Sciences (ELLS), and European University Association (EUA). For 15 years in a row, Wageningen has been voted the best university in the Netherlands. According to the QS World University Rankings 2022, the university ranks at #123 in the world. As per THE World University Rankings 2022, it is placed at #53 and #80 according to the US News & World Report's Best Global University Rankings of 2022. In addition, the U.S. News & World Report has placed Wageningen University 1st in the disciplines of Plant/ Animal Science, Environment/ Ecology, and Agricultural Sciences. 

Infrastructure, Campuses and Courses

Wageningen University & Research has a 70,000-square-meter campus and has been named the Netherlands' most environmentally friendly university. Students, professors, researchers, and staff from more than 103 countries call it home. The university offers various bachelors degree programmes, different MSc or Masters programmes and PhD programmes as well. The medium of instruction for various BSc programmes is English, which makes this university more eye-catching and attractive for international students. Other courses are offered in both Dutch and English. Each year in September, the programmes begin and run for three years, totalling 180 ECTS credits. The programmes cover Economics and Society, Health Science, Life Sciences and Technology, Nature and Environment, Animals and Plants, and more. 

Accomplishments and Alumni

Wageningen University was the first university in the Netherlands to be granted permission to use the ECTS (European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System) label. The European Commission awards this mark, which ensures that the study programme is of high quality. As a result, the university implements this strategy promoting student mobility across Europe and avoiding study delays. The University has also produced some well-known alumni such as Louise Fresco (Dutch Scientist), Gerrit Braks (Former Member of the House of Representatives of the Netherlands), Helga Van Leur (Dutch Meteorologist), Simon Vroemen (Long-Distance Runner), Willie Smits (Microbiologist), and Cees Veerman (Dutch Politician). 

Student Diversity and Visiting Companies

The university has a total of 13,275 students in the academic year 2020/2021 that come from 108 different nations, with 2,777 international, 3,216 freshman and 302 exchange students enrolled. There are 6,037 bachelor's degree candidates, 6,936 master's degree applicants, and 2,183 PhD candidates enrolled. China, Germany, and Italy are the most famous nationalities among international students. Wageningen University also has a tie-up with major corporations such as CLS Services, Delta Milieu, Dr Schwerdtfeger Agri HR Consult, FreshRecruitment, Green Career Consult, Green People Recruitment, Leading Talent and Yor-in.