Welcome to the Graduate School

Wageningen Institute of Animal Sciences (WIAS)

The graduate school WIAS was founded in 1993, accredited by the Royal Netherlands Academy of Sciences (KNAW) in June 1995, and re-accredited in June 2000 and June 2005.

WIAS combines the research efforts of twelve groups at Wageningen University . WIAS scientific staff consists of about 60 faculty members, of which 16 are full-time or part-time professors. There are about 16 postdocs. Twenty researchers of the Contract Research Organisation of the Animal Sciences Group of Wageningen UR are associated member of WIAS.

There are more than 140 PhD students enrolled. About 75% of them are externally funded and 50% are international PhD students.

The WIAS mission statement:
The graduate school WIAS aims to improve our understanding of animals and their various roles for mankind through fundamental and strategic research and training of young researchers.

In June 2009, WIAS was subjected to an international peer review, over the period 2003-2008. The documentation for that peer review can be downloaded here. The report of the evaluation Committee appeared in September 2009 and can be downloaded here.

The WIAS Scientific Director is Prof. Bas Kemp.
WIAS Secretary is Patricia Huijbers.
Education Coordinator is Marianne Bruining.

Address: Zodiac, Marijkeweg 40 (Building no. 531) P.O. Box 338 6700 AH Wageningen The Netherlands Phone +31 317 483952 Fax +31 317 483962 E-mail wias@wur.nl website www.wias.wur.nl

Click on the logo below to go to the site of the WAPS (WIAS Associated PhD Students)

Organisation

Research programme

WIAS aims to cover and integrate the entire spectrum of disciplinary fields ranging from fundamental zoological research to livestock and fish production sciences, including adjacent disciplines such as business economics. Research at WIAS is conducted at the level of the molecule, cell, organ, individual organism, population, system and ecosystem. It combines laboratory, field and modelling studies.

Participating groups

The following groups of Wageningen University participate in WIAS:

• Adaptation Physiology
• Animal Breeding and Genetics
• Animal Nutrition
• Animal Production Systems
• Cell Biology and Immunology
• Experimental Zoology
• Business Economics
• Aquaculture and Fisheries
• Human and Animal Physiology
• Host-Microbe Interactomics
• Quantitative Veterinary Epidemiology.
• Farm Technology

Facilities

Most of WIAS' research is concentrated in and around the Zodiac building in Wageningen, where all necessary general and specialised laboratories are available. Special facilities include an Isotope Ratio Mass Spectrometer (IRMS), a fully equipped Laboratory for Animal Genome Analysis, electron microscope, high speed video camera, small, medium and large climate/respiration units for farm animals, and aquatic respiration units for fish.
Experimental facilities are available for horses, cattle, sheep, goats, pigs and poultry, as well as for rats and mice. The experimental facility for fish is one of the largest of its kind in Europe.