Workshops​

Several Locations in Zodiac (building 122) and Impulse (building 115)

Between 13:30 - 17:00 h

The Big Animal Quiz - with Sound!

Length: 45 minutes

Location: Festival grounds, tent

Max. participants: 40

Run by: Léonie van der Zwet, junior communications advisor ASG

Back by popular demand: The Big Animal Quiz! After the 2024 success, the quiz returns with a new twist: sound questions, surprising rounds and plenty of animal facts to test your knowledge.

Think you know everything about animals? Gather your team, come up with a brilliant team name and join the fun. You can take part in teams of four. Each round has room for up to ten teams, and each team can take part once.

At the end of the day, prizes will be awarded for the highest score and the best team name.

Please make sure all four team members register for the same time slot.

NPEC Tour

Length: 45 minutes

Location: Reception of Unifarm, building 109

Max. participants: 12

Run by: Campustours

Step inside one of Unifarm’s newest and most advanced greenhouses: the Dutch Plant Eco-Phenotyping Centre. During this tour, you will discover how technology helps researchers analyse plants quickly, accurately and at scale.

The NPEC greenhouse supports a wide range of research, from tomatoes and quinoa to potatoes. Your student tour guides will show you around, explain the facilities and share their own experiences of studying at Wageningen University & Research.

A great opportunity to explore a high-tech research environment just around the corner.

Unifarm Tour

Length: 60 minutes

Location: Reception of Unifarm, building 109

Max. participants: 15

Run by: Campustours

Curious about the research taking place in Unifarm’s greenhouses? Join this tour and get a behind-the-scenes look at changing research set-ups and trials.

Depending on the season, you may see experiments on light, pest control, fertilisation, plant breeding and more. For much of the year, the tropical greenhouse can also be visited. The tour is guided by trained Wageningen University & Research students.

A relaxed and informative way to discover more about the green research facilities on

New Investment Programme: digital biology in animal science

Length: 90 minutes

Location: Impulse, Speakers Corner, building 115

Max. participants: 50

Run by: PhD candidates from the programme

With Digital Biology in Animal Science, ASG is investing over the next four years in a new way of looking at animal science. Across seven PhD tracks, researchers combine biological knowledge with digital methods such as sensors, data integration, models and AI. In doing so, we aim to better understand how animals respond to their environment, to disease, to climate and to human activity.

During this session, PhD candidates from the programme will introduce their research in a series of short pitches. Together, they will show how digital biology can help us understand how animals respond to their environment, disease, climate and human activity. Also the winning name of the programme will be reveiled;

After the pitches, the group will move to the festival grounds. There will be plenty of time to ask questions, meet the PhD candidates and continue the conversation over a drink. A great way to discover an innovative programme and expand your network at the same time.

Gelli Printing with Flowers and Leaves from Campus

Length: 60 minutes

Location: Zodiac, room A0108

Max. participants: 15

Run by: Lyda Winata

In this creative workshop, you will discover the playful technique of gelli printing. Using acrylic paint, a gel plate and natural materials from campus, you will experiment with colour, texture and happy accidents.

No experience is needed. Just bring your curiosity and enjoy making something by hand. At the end of the workshop, you will take home a unique item with your own unique print.

All materials will be provided.

How to write a news message?

Length: 60 minutes

Location: Zodiac, A0110

Max. participants: 12

Run by: Pauline van Schayck, online regisseur

What makes a good news item? How do you choose the right angle, write a strong introduction and select a suitable image? This practical training is especially designed for key users of the chair groups who work with news content.

You will learn the basics of writing for online channels, including how to structure a text, write in a clear and accessible way and make your message easy to scan. You can bring your own topic and start working on a title, introduction or short article during the session.

A hands-on workshop for anyone who wants to make research and activities more visible.

Guess Who?

Who Is the Mystery Customer and What Do They Want?

Length: 90 minutes

Location: Zodiac, room A0107

Max. participants: 25

Run by: Astrid de Greef, business developer WBVR & Marije Oostindjer, business developer WLR

Can you find out who is sitting in front of you — and what they need from Wageningen University & Research?

In this interactive workshop, you will meet mystery guests from companies, government or other organisations in the agri-food field. Your challenge is to make contact, ask open questions, stay curious and discover who they are and what they are looking for.

You will practise simple but powerful conversation tools, such as icebreakers, open questions and active curiosity. These skills are useful in customer conversations, but just as much when connecting with colleagues, partners or even your neighbour.

Fun, practical and relevant for everyone who works with people.

Escape Room

Length: 90 minutes

Location: Patio Zodiac, courtyard garden

Max. participants: 16 (2 teams of 8 persons max)

Run by: Martin Wagemans, safety, health and environment consultant DAS

Put your teamwork, problem-solving skills and nerves to the test in this outdoor escape room challenge, the theme will be (off course) safety & health.

Together with your team, you will solve clues, connect information and work against the clock. Expect a mix of logic, collaboration and a little festival tension in the courtyard garden of Zodiac.

A great choice if you enjoy doing something active together and want to meet colleagues in a different way.

You can register for the escape room yourself.'Teams will be formed on the day.

Pattern Printing on Textile

Length: 90 minutes

Location: Zodiac, room A0108

Max. participants: 15

Run by: Lyda Winata (external)

Create your own pattern and print it on textile in this hands-on creative workshop.

You will design and cut a pattern in linoleum, then use it to print on a bag. No experience is needed; the workshop is suitable for everyone who enjoys trying something creative.

At the end of the session, you will take home a bag with your own handmade design.

All materials will be provided, so you do not need to bring anything.

Wageningen Technical Solutions: Tour and Introduction

Length: 90 minutes

Location: Innovation, presentation room

Max. participants: 15

Run by: Thijs Lamers, Technical Engineer WTS

You want to research something, but you do not have the right equipment or set-up. Sound familiar? Wageningen Technical Solutions (WTS) may be able to help.

During this tour, you will discover how WTS supports research and education by developing advanced measuring instruments, technical set-ups, prototypes and one-off solutions. With expertise across WUR domains, WTS translates research questions into practical technical solutions.

From unusual devices to repairs and small-series products: WTS develops what researchers need to move their work forward. Join the tour and see how technical craftsmanship can make research possible.

How Do I Create an Effective Pitch?

Length: 90 minutes

Location: Zodiac, room E1242

Max. participants: 12

Run by: Jacqueline Wijbenga, communications advisor WBVR

How do you explain your research clearly, convincingly and within just a few minutes? In this practical training, you will learn how to build a strong pitch and practise it yourself.

You will start with a real example from a colleague, including what worked, what needed sharpening and how feedback helped improve the final pitch. After that, you will work in pairs to prepare your own three-minute pitch about your research.

This session is ideal if you want to become more confident in presenting your work to colleagues, partners or external audiences.

Media Training: How to Deal with the Press

Length: 90 minutes

Location: Zodiac, room E1242

Max. participants: 15

Run by: Mark van der Meijs, senior communications advisor ASG

What do you do when a journalist calls? How do you prepare for difficult questions? And what role can a communications advisor play when research meets the media?

In this interactive media training, you will learn the basics of dealing with the press. You will work in small groups on a simulated press conference, including preparation, sharp questions from different media perspectives and feedback on what went well.

A useful and lively session for anyone who may speak to the media — or wants to understand how media dynamics work.

Tour to the Special Collection (library tour)

Length: 60 minutes

Location: Library, special collection

Max number of participants: 15

Run by: Anita Dijkstra & Lotte

Library, Special Collections holds several collections that were made or used either in education or during research practices at Wageningen University & research and its predecessors in the past. The major part consists of books, maps and image collections covering plant, animal, and environmental sciences.

You will join a guided tour to the special collections of WUR Library, including a peek in the closed stacks and the exhibition in the reading room. The exhibition celebrates 40 years of the Centre for Genetic Resources, the Netherlands (CGN), which highlights historical biodiversity, the theory of evolution, and the ongoing relevance of these collections for today’s research.

Visualizing Research Impact SciVal Workshop on Using Bibliometric Data for Research Grant Applications or Promotion

Length: 90 minutes

Location: Impulse, room Decision

Max number of participants: 10

Run by: Fanrong Meng

Prerequisite: Bring a laptop! Create a Scopus account with your WUR email address and curate your Scopus profile (handouts will be provided before hand).

The new evaluation system in academia has shifted the focus toward narrative CVs that highlight quality, context, and impact using article-level indicators. The current workshop prepares researchers for choosing suitable metrics to describe their research outputs for grants and promotions. Researchers will learn to use SciVal, a web-based research analytics tool from Elsevier that utilizes the Scopus database. The course combines lecture with practical assignments.

During the workshop, participants will learn to use SciVal to:

• demonstrate the academic impact of their research outputs using citation metrics, i.e. ,FWCI, Citation percentiles;

• showcase their network, and societal impact (i.e., policy citations and patent citations); and

• identify the key institutions and researchers for potential collaboration.

Ultimately, we hope these practical skills will provide evidence-based information for demonstrate one’s research outputs, which can be used for grant proposals and promotion.

Interactive lecture artificial intelligence (AI) and literature

Length: 90 minutes

Location: Impulse, room Decision

Max number of participants: 15

Run by: Valérie Toebes & Cristina Huidiu

Prerequisite: Bring a laptop!

In this interactive lecture, we will discuss tools that are available to search or interact with literature in a responsible way. How do you get the most out of it? What should you be aware of? And what should you definitely not do?

Think about:

• using chatbots such as ChatGPT to help you develop a search strategy;

• tools such as Elicit, Consensus or Connected Papers to help you orientate on your topic, provide summaries, key references, overview tables, or citation networks;

• tools such as ASReview LAB or Rayyan to screen your literature.

This interactive lecture is intended for researchers who have little to no experience with AI and literature and want to explore the possibilities.

in option: How to write a portfolio for the Academic Career Framework

Length: to be determinded

Location: to be determined

Max number of participants: 8

Run by: to be determinded

Are you considering entering the Academic Career Framework, or would you like to better understand what the process involves? In this workshop, you will gain practical insights into writing your ACF portfolio.

The session is led by a colleague who has recently gone through the ACF process and will share personal experiences, lessons learned and useful tips. What should you include in your portfolio? How do you reflect on your academic development? What can be challenging, and what helps you move forward?

This workshop offers an honest and accessible introduction to the portfolio process, with room for questions and exchange. It is especially relevant for researchers who are preparing for the ACF or want to explore what it could mean for their career development.

The Dilemma Card Game

Explore different questions and dilemmas around academic freedom

Length: 60 minutes

Location: Impulse, room Innovation

Max number of participants: 20

Run by: Antoinette Thijsen, Head of Communications SSG & Joost van Zoest, Programme Developer, Wageningen Dialogues, CVI

A first at the festival!

Academic freedom is about the freedom to conduct scientific research, provide education and share knowledge. Around the world, this freedom is under pressure, and in the Netherlands too there is a growing political tendency to actively steer the content of scientific debate and education. Over the past year, all universities have therefore organised dialogues on what academic freedom means and how we can protect it.

To continue this dialogue at WUR, a dilemma card game has been developed to explore different questions and dilemmas around academic freedom. What kind of steering results from the way science is funded? How do you deal with pressure from clients or commissioners? And where, in fact, are the boundaries of academic freedom?

We warmly invite you to take part in the dilemma card game. Academic freedom at the university is not only a right that must be defended, but also a value that must be actively lived and discussed. To protect open academic debate, we need to continue talking to one another about the role we all play in safeguarding that freedom.

LinkedIn Training: Strengthen Your Professional Online Presence

Length: 90 minutes

Location: Zodiac, room E1244

Max. participants: 18

Run by: Marloes Klaasse, Social Media Coördinator WUR

Prerequisite: You can join this training if you have a LinkedIn profile and know the basics. Bring your laptop!

LinkedIn is more than a place to share updates. For researchers, project leaders and professionals, it is a valuable platform to make your work visible, build your network and connect with colleagues, partners, funders and stakeholders beyond your own organisation.

In this interactive training, you will explore how to use LinkedIn in a way that feels authentic and relevant to you. We will look at how to strengthen your personal profile, tell a clear story about your work, create posts that reach the right audience and better understand how engagement and the LinkedIn algorithm work.

Whether you are new to LinkedIn or already active on the platform, this session will help you take the next step. You will leave with practical tips, fresh ideas and more confidence to use LinkedIn for your research, your projects and your professional development.