Contested Biodiversities: Unpacking power and privilege in KwaZulu-Natal’s Biodiversity Stewardship Programme, South Africa, by Shirley Brooks

Monday 15 October, 12:00 - 13:00 Leeuwenborch, C62 Professor Shirley Brooks is Head of the Department of Geography, Environmental Studies & Tourism at the University of the Western Cape. Impression seminar Protected area expansion in South Africa has taken a new turn. The aim of the recently instituted Biodiversity Stewardship Programme (BSP) is to expand the [...]

Critical food studies workshop and seminar series: Foodscapes of the sharing economy

Critical food studies workshop and seminar series Organized by the Foodscapes cluster of the Centre for Space, Place and Society (CSPS) Foodscapes of the sharing economy 25 September 2018 – 13.45-17.00 Room C 62 in de Leeuwenborch (Hollandseweg 1, Wageningen) During the recent decade, new modes of food provisioning have emerged under the guise of [...]

Remaking the university, a clearinghouse for commentary

There is growing discussion in many places concerning how to reform our universities in the face of common pressures we increasingly face to restructure along neoliberal lines. This post provides a clearinghouse for commentary both on this situation and on efforts to respond to it. In this way, it contributes to the central aim of CSPS [...]

Writing Retreat of CSPS and WCSG PhD candidates

On the 29st of May to 1st of June 2018, 30 PhD candidates from CSPS and the WCSG (Wageningen Centre of Sustainability Governance) participated in a “Writing Retreat” at the Monastery of Huissen. The retreat offered a great opportunity to make progress with individual writing as well as to share and discuss work and get [...]

CSPS Seminar: Unuunu – nguu – barasili (Story-Song-Dance) Cultural Conservation, Indigenous Epistemologies and Performance in North Malaita, Solomon Islands

Unuunu – nguu – barasili (Story-Song-Dance) Cultural Conservation, Indigenous Epistemologies and Performance in North Malaita, Solomon Islands Dr. Irene Karongo Hundleby, Otago University Friday, June 29, 2018, 13:00 - 14:30 Leeuwenborch C70, Wageningen University Over the past 100 years, Solomon Islanders have experienced colonialism, the arrival of missionaries, government administrators and foreign businesses, alongside Independence, [...]

CSPS seminar: “Explore the Carpathian Garden!” – Securing nature as greener in the periphery of Europe

“Explore the Carpathian Garden!” – Securing nature as greener in the periphery of Europe Tuesday 5 June, 11:30 - 12:30 Leeuwenborch C78 The seminar will investigate the emergence of green economy and securitization logics in the process of constructing the Carpathian Mountains as a wilderness frontier. The project of establishing ‘The European Yellowstone’ in Romania [...]

Annual lecture by Erik Swyngedouw

REMINDER:  We are happy to announce that we have confirmed Erik Swyngedouw to give our annual lecture on Thursday 7 June from 16:00 - 17:30 at Leeuwenborch C64. Erik Swyngedouw is Professor of Geography at Manchester University. His research interests include urban political-ecology, hydro-social conflict, urban governance, democracy and political power, and the politics of globalisation. [...]

Re-learning Public Spaces Summer School | 28th June – 30th June and July 3rd 2018

You are welcome to join the Re-learning Public Spaces Summer School: 28 th June – 30th June and 3rd July. The Summer School will further develop your thinking about the social impact of your research. It is connected to an event that turns around the concept of traditional academic conferences, in the sense that participants [...]

Research fellow: Dr. Bas Verschuuren

We are pleased to inform you that Dr. Bas Verschuuren will be joining us as a research fellow. Dr. Bas Verschuuren Bas obtained his PhD from the Department of Sociology of Development and Change (WUR, 2017). His thesis ‘Creating Common Ground’, focussed on synergies and disjunctures between practices and ontologies of Indigenous people and conservation [...]

Seminar: Towards a post-apocalyptic anthropology: harbouring the prospect of life

Towards a post-apocalyptic anthropology: harbouring the prospect of life Seminar on the occasion of the retirement of dr. A. Arce (SDC) Tuesday, April 24, 2018, 9:45 – 17:30 Wageningen, Forum C0314 Calling for a post-apocalyptic anthropology is a provocative move to critically discuss so-called crisis of governance, failures of public policy, bio-power effects that have [...]

Seminar: Co-creating Research

Co-creating Research Seminar Tuesday, 10 April 2018, 14:00 - 17:00 Wageningen, Gaia C0093 Co-creation has become a buzzword in many social science disciplines and business as well as in tourism studies. Given the prominence of co-creation, surprisingly little discussion has evolved about its implications for research practices and knowledge production as well as what challenges [...]

7 x Power and Knowledge in the Post-Truth Society

The International Institute of Innovation in Governance and The WUR Politics of Space and Place Network presents: 7 X POWER AND KNOWLEDGE IN THE POST-TRUTH SOCIETY APRIL 3 2018 | 15.00-17.00 | WUR FORUM BUILDING C0658 Starring: Noelle Aarts, Jan Douwe van der Ploeg, Peter Tamas & Fons van Overbeek, Kristof Van Assche, Raoul Beunen, Daan Boezeman and Guus [...]

Seminar: “Renewable energy: North and South case studies on local politics and resistance”

“Renewable energy: North and South case studies on local politics and resistance” Informal seminar by CSPS Political Agency at the Grassroots March 7 2018, 15:00 - 17:00 Leeuwenborch V72, Wageningen Program: 15:00 Pia Otte (Ruralis, Trondheim Norway): Energy impacts: Dilemmas and paradoxes of the Fosen wind energy project 15:30 Maite Hernando Arrese (Wageningen): Drawing lessons [...]

Film Viewing and Q&A with Susan Crate ‘The Anthropologist’

Film Viewing and Q&A with Susan Crate 'The Anthropologist' January 25, 2018, 15.00 - 17.30  Movie  W, Wilhelminaweg 3A, Wageningen. Free for WUR card holders and participants of the WASS course "Advanced Qualitative Research Design and Data Collection" At the core of The Anthropologist are the parallel stories of two women: Margaret Mead, who popularized cultural anthropology in America; and Susie [...]

The Political Propaganda of the ‘Terrorism Myth’: Dr. Jeff Sluka, Massey University

The CSPS conflict cluster invites you all to a public lecture by Prof Sluka from Massey University on Thursday 11 January from 15:30 to 17:00 at Leeuwenborch C75. The talk is followed by drinks. We hope to see you all there. Below is a short abstract. The Political Propaganda of the 'Terrorism Myth' While ‘terrorism’ [...]

Film screening: Ghosts of our Forest

Ghosts of our Forest 10 January 2018, 20:00 Filmhuis Movie W, Wilhelminaweg 3A, Wageningen „The mist are the ghosts of our ancestors who remained in the forest after we have been chased away.“ (Batwa Elder Norah 2015) Documentary, 63 minutes Director: Daniel Roher (Loud Roar Productions) Credits: Lisa Trogisch (Producer), Marianna Margaret (Cinematographer), Edmund Stenson (Editor), [...]

Visiting fellow and annual lecture: Erik Swyngedouw

We are happy to announce that we have confirmed Erik Swyngedouw to give our annual lecture. Erik Swyngedouw is Professor of Geography at Manchester University. His research interests include urban political-ecology, hydro-social conflict, urban governance, democracy and political power, and the politics of globalisation. His was previously professor of geography at Oxford University and held [...]

Visiting fellow: Ariadne Collins

We are pleased to inform you that Ariadne Collins will be joining us as a visiting fellow during the academic year of 2017-2018. Bio Ariadne Collins is particularly interested in climate change governance and politics. Her research adopts post-structural approaches to interrogating the intersection of power, development and neoliberalism in global efforts to conserve tropical [...]

A Merely Gorilla Christmas?: Presentation & discussion on two PhD projects studying gorilla territory in the African Great Lakes

The clusters Conflict, Tourism and Political Ecology clusters of the CSPS cordially invite you to… A Merely Gorilla Christmas? Presentation & discussion on two PhD projects studying gorilla territory in the African Great Lakes Region   Date: 13th December 2017 Time: 3:00 – 5:00 pm Location: Lumen, room 2 Programme: 3:00:  Opening and upcoming events [...]

Winter school: Critical Dialogues on Violence: Foundations and Current Debates

8 - 12 January 2018 Wageningen University, the Netherlands Course organisers: Gemma van der Haar & Lotje de Vries (SDC) Contact: lotje.devries@wur.nl What is violence? How does it come about? How is violence organized, socially and politically? This course addresses these questions through an in-depth engagement with foundational texts and readings of more recent key [...]

CSPS Research Seminar: On farmers and natural resources in the (western) Mexico: going beyond a farmer-oriented perspective

On farmers and natural resources in the (western) Mexico: going beyond a farmer-oriented perspective 24 October, 14:00 - 16:00 Leeuwenborch C68 Peter R.W. Gerritsen, University of Guadalajara, Mexico, pedritus@startmail.com Introduction Understanding how contemporary societies relate to the natural environment and how these relationships are modified by human beings in general and by farmers in particular is [...]

Blog | Science as a basis for optimism (?) | By Jessica Duncan

By Jessica Duncan and originally published on Jessica Duncan's blog.  On September 4th I took the stage with two younger scientists to reflect on the theme of the Opening of the 2017-2018 Academic Year: Science as the basis for optimism. We followed the controversial keynote Matt Ridley (see here, also here). I tend to be an energetic speaker; [...]

Letter of concern regarding Dr. Matt Ridley as keynote speaker, opening of the academic year

We have drafted a letter of concern in response to the decision to host Dr. Matt Ridley as keynote speaker for the opening of the WUR 2017-18 academic year. Whilst we welcome the initiative to engage staff and students in debate setting the scene for the year to come, we are concerned and disappointed about [...]

Public discussion with key activists: the relevance of development studies for current activism

Public Plenary Discussion with Key Activists: The Relevance of Development Studies for current Activism Day: Friday June 30th     time: 9.30 -11.00 Venue: Boomgaardzaal, Hotel de Wageningsche Berg, Generaal Foulkesweg 96 Convenors: Michiel Kohne, Monique Nuijten, Elisabet Rasch Panelists: Katherine Gibson, professor at Western Sydney University Jens Lund, Section for Global Development, Copenhagen University Lynn van [...]

Final programme conference

We have finished the final programme for the international conference 'The Value of Life: Measurement, Stakes, Implications' taking place from 28 to 30 June in Wageningen. Find the full programme here: Final programme The programme contains all the sessions, including the keynote lectures and plenary sessions. For a complete overview of the presentations, find the complete book [...]

The Hauntological Turn: Psychoanalysis and Political Economy

The Hauntological Turn: Psychoanalysis and Political Economy Research Seminar Wageningen University, the Netherlands 12-13 May 2017   Seminar Programme: Friday 12 May 9:00 – 9:30:                Introduction/Organization 9:30 – 11:00:              Paper Session I             Chair: Japhy Wilson Development and the Poor: Enjoy Your Symptom!    Ilan Kapoor, York University, Canada Looking Awry at the Poor’s Agency [...]