Education and capacity strengthening

We see education and capacity building as foundational pillars for driving transformative change. We offer a wide range of programmes and initiatives at different levels to equip students, professionals, and organizations with the tools and knowledge needed to navigate and lead transitions toward sustainability.

Undergraduate level

For students at the Bachelor’s level, we offer the interdisciplinary minor “Financing Sustainable Transitions”. This programme explores the critical role of the financial sector in creating nature-positive change, bridging finance, technological, and natural sciences. The minor is also open to students from other universities, broadening its impact.

Master’s level

Transformative change is an important theme in several of our MSc programmes, for example in International Development Studies, Development and Rural Innovation, Governance of Sustainability Transformations, and Communication, Health and Life Sciences.

In consultation with lecturers, it is possible to follow individual courses within these programmes through so-called ‘contract education’. Courses that may be relevant include:

  • Sustainability Governance Challenges (YSS38206)
  • The Politics of Food System Transformation (RSO34806)
  • Innovation and Transformation (CPT22806)
  • Facilitating Interactive Processes (CPT60306)
  • Transformative sustainability practices (ENP39406)

Please visit our study guide for more information on these courses.

Postgraduate programmes

For professionals, policymakers, and practitioners, WUR provides advanced learning opportunities tailored to the demands of transformation. These include programmes offered by Wageningen Academy such as:

  • A short, intensive Masterclass Nature Positive Finance, a two-day programme held on campus, designed to address the intersection of finance and nature-positive solutions. Explore the masterclass here.
  • A longer, hybrid programme offered under the Lighthouse Farm Academy, which delves into transformative practices in food systems. Learn more about the programme here.
  • In collaboration with DRIFT, we offer a course in Reflexive Monitoring in Action, a course in Dutch that introduces you to valuable knowledge, tools and approaches, aimed at learning and adapting in transitions – for all transitionals who want to improve their monitoring game.
  • In collaboration with CGIAR we offer a free online course on innovation and scaling.

Capacity strengthening for organizations

Transformations require not only knowledge but also leadership, multi-stakeholder collaboration, and place-based learning. WUR offers tailored capacity strengthening services for organizations and their staff across multiple sectors and contexts. Examples include initiatives like the African Food Fellowship and SHIFT, which foster leadership and collaboration for systemic change.

By combining education, training, and capacity building, WUR equips individuals and organizations to take on the challenges of transformation with confidence and impact.