VLAG courses and conferences

VLAG Graduate School forms a community of research and post-graduate education in the areas of Biobased, Biomolecular, Food, and Nutrition Sciences. The Graduate School provides a platform for high-quality post-graduate education and professional development of young researchers.

For detailed information please visit VLAG webpage: http://www.vlaggraduateschool.nl/en/courses.htm

1. VLAG Scientific courses

The graduate school organises a large number of advanced scientific courses. Topics chosen for these courses are of particular interest to PhD candidates within VLAG, but the courses are also open to external participants.  Some courses are organised annually, but most are organised every two or three years. All courses are in English.

  • Advancing Implementation Science in Nutrition
    The global nutrition situation faces persistent challenges worldwide. It remains largely unchanged due to gaps in implementation, conflicts, and emergencies. Addressing these issues requires better use of implementation science, including interdisciplinary collaboration, stakeholder engagement, and enhanced policy understanding, as well as overcoming barriers like resistance to change, educational system limitations, and siloed efforts. Advancing implementation science in nutrition involves bridging the gap between scientific evidence and practical application by translating research findings into sustainable and real-world solutions. The course will address methods in optimizing implementation to address the complexities of global nutrition, thereby maximizing the potential for positive outcomes in population quality of life.
  • Advanced Organic Chemistry
    Advanced course for WUR PhD candidates
  • Ecophysiology of food-associated micro-organisms: roles in health and food functionality
    This advanced course aims to develop expertise in (functional) genomics, physiology of food-associated micro-organisms and ecology, in particular with respect to their impact on food functionality and consumer health. The focus will be on the microbiology of food fermentation processes addressing the newest scientific insights of complex microbial communities, modelling techniques and novel product functionalities,as well as stress-adaptive responses, population diversity and virulence of foodborne pathogens.
  • Healthy and sustainable diets
    International Master class to broaden disciplinary thinking in agriculture, food sciences, nutrition and health to arrive at a disciplinary research perspective on healthy and sustainable diets. It aims to contribute to synergy between scientific disciplines, applied research and stakeholders along the food supply chain.
  • Microalgae Process Design: from Cells to Photobioreactors
    This course provides the essential skills for designing microalgae-based production processes, for both research and commercial purposes.
  • Microscopy and Spectroscopy in Food and Plant Sciences
    The MicroSpectroscopy Research Facility and the Wageningen Light Microscopy Centre of Wageningen University will organize a VLAG & EPS funded advanced practical course for postdocs and PhD candidates. The course will cover the theory behind a number of advanced microscopic and micro-spectroscopic techniques that have a wide range of applications in both the Food and Plant Sciences.
  • NanoBioPhysX Course
    This course focuses on PhD candidates working on fundamental topics (experiment or theory) within the crossover field of nanotechnology, biology, physics and chemistry, interested in broadening their academic scope and societal reach. The course aims to: Immerse participants in an interdisciplinary scientific environment and widen their scientific horizon. Foster scientific discussion and develop an interdisciplinary fundamental scientific community. Gain societal outreach experience and improve popular science writing targeted at the general public.
  • Open Hardware in the lab: DIY using 3D printers, laser cutters, and CNC
    Research often requires custom setups and tools for proper functioning, and existing products are not always suited or optimized for the individual research project. Luckily, the rise of computer-aided manufacturing techniques has made it easier than ever to quickly design objects specifically designed for your intended use. 3D printing, laser cutting, and CNC milling are manufacturing techniques that make it possible to go from an idea to a physical object within a day. These techniques have become relatively affordable and accessible. More importantly designs can easily be shared and reproduced by other researchers, making them an essential tool for Open Science and Open Hardware. Using these techniques for your own research can make experiments faster, easier, and more affordable, while increasing the impact of your research.

2. General courses

General courses deal with various issues relevant for the professional and personal development of PhD candidates.
VLAG organises the following general courses:

  • VLAG PhD week
  • Philosophy and Ethics of Food Science and Technology
  • various Statistics courses

VLAG also contributes to the organisation of general/skills courses jointly organised by Wageningen Graduate Schools. For detailed information please visit: https://wgs.crs.wur.nl/

  • Applied Statistics
    Each day consists of lectures and practicals using R. The examples used in the lectures and practicals are based on data provided by researchers of VLAG.
  • Chemometrics
    Each day consists of lectures and practicals using R. Examples of datasets delivered by the course participants in advance will be used in the lectures and practicals when possible.
  • VLAG PhD week
    The aim of the PhD week is to make freshman PhD candidates aware of the importance of the professional skills such as presentation techniques, scientific writing, project management, science ethics, ... in the research arena. Moreover this week aims at network formation within the VLAG PhD community, and getting insight into the wide spectrum of scientific research being carried out within the Graduate School. More at: http://www.vlaggraduateschool.nl/en/courses/General-courses/VLAG-general-courses/VLAG-PhD-week.htm
  • VLAG Midterm event: PhD on track
    The PhD on track event is organised for VLAG PhD candidates at the end of the 2nd year, or start of the 3rd year of their PhD. It revolves around the following questions: - Am I on schedule? - Am I (aware of and) making optimal use of opportunities? - What do we need for life/career after the PhD?
  • Introduction to R
    The aim is to provide an introduction to R, a computer language and environment for statistics and graphics. The course will focus on getting familiar with the R environment by means of RStudio, to use R for manipulation and exploration of data and to perform simple analysis. Basic programming as well as visualization of results in R will also be part of this course.

3. VLAG conferences

  • Transition from a (Sandwich) PhD programme at Wageningen University to an academic career in Africa
    This workshop is an initiative of three Sandwich PhD graduates – from Benin, Zimbabwe, and Zambia - who will also be our special guests. They have moved to an academic position at their home institute and will share their experiences and will reflect on successes, challenges, and opportunities of the PhD programme at Wageningen University and their experience afterwards. We will also highlight on how to maximize on mutual benefits for all involved, the PhD candidates, their Wageningen counterparts and the African Universities / partner institutions involved, and how to navigate pitfalls.