What a PhD candidate should know about research after finishing a thesis Krijn Poppe Wageningen Economic Research November 2017 EAAE PhD workshop Barcelona
What a PhD candidate should know about
research after finishing a thesis
Krijn Poppe
Wageningen Economic Research
November 2017 EAAE PhD workshop Barcelona
Content of the presentation
Introduction: Wageningen UR and my background
Some trends in society
Effects on AKIS – Agricultural Knowledge and Innovation
System
How we react in Wageningen UR
A career at the University
A career in applied policy analysis
Wageningen University & Research
Academic research & education, and applied research
5,800 employees (5,100 fte)
>10,000 students (>125 countries)
Several locations
Turnover about € 650 million
Number 1 Agricultural University for the 4th year in a row
(National Taiwan Ranking)
To explore the potential of nature to improve the quality of life
Krijn J. Poppe
(Business) Economist
Research Manager at Wageningen Economic Research
Member of the Council for the Environment and Infrastructure
(foto: Fred Ernst)
Member Advisory Committee Province of South-Holland on the
quality of the Living Environment
Board member of SKAL – Dutch organic certification body
Fellow EAAE. Former Secretary General of the EAAE, now involved
in managing its publications (ERAE, EuroChoices)
Former Chief Science Officer Ministry of Agriculture
Trends in society
Disruptive role of ICT
Issues in the food chain: sustainability and health
The end of the expert and the answer of citizen science
Disruptive ICT Trends:
Mobile/Cloud Computing – smart phones, wearables, incl. sensors
Internet of Things – everything gets connected in the internet (virtualisation, M2M, autonomous devices)
Location-based monitoring - satellite and remote sensing technology, geo information, drones, etc.
Social media - Facebook, Twitter, Wiki, etc.
Block Chain – Tracing & Tracking, Contracts.
Big Data - Web of Data, Linked Open Data, Big data algorithms
High Potential for unprecedented innovations!
everywhere
anything
anywhere
everybody
Food chain: 2 weak spots – opportunity?
Input industriesFarmerFood processorConsumer Retail
• Public health issues –obesity, Diabetes-2 etc.
• Climate change asks for changes in diet
• Strong structural change
• Environmental costs need to be internalised
• Climate change (GHG) strengthens this
Is it coincidence that these 2 are the weakest groups?Are these issues business opportunities and do newtechnologies like ICT help?
The end of the expert and the answer of
citizen science
Post-modernism: “science is justanother opinion”
There is distrust of experts
And of elites / the powerful
Commercial influences in research
Media looking for new business models (advertising goes online)
Politicians more short sighted?
Citizen science, (digital) commons
Effects of trends on AKIS – agricultural
knowledge and innovation system
Some findings from the SCAR – AKIS strategic working groups
Case study: the Netherlands
What does it mean for the PhD
● Working in a university
● Working in an applied (policy) research institute
3 Scenario’s to explore the future
HighTech: strong influence new technology owned by
multinationals. Driverless tractors, contract farming and a rural
exodus. US of Europe. Rich society with inequality.
Sustainability issues solved. Bio-boom scenario.
Self-organisation: Europe of regions where new ICT
technologies with disruptive business models lead to self-
organisation, bottom-up democracy, short-supply chains, multi-
functional agriculture. European institutions are weak, regions
and cities rule. Inequalities between regions, depending on
endowments.
Collapse: Big climate change effects, mass-migration and
political turbulence leads to a collapse of institutions and
European integration. Regional and local communities look for
self-sufficiency. Bio-scarcity and labour intensive agriculture.
Technology development becomes dependent on science in
China, India, Brazil.
AKIS in the 3 scenario’s
HIGH TECH SELF-
ORGANISATION
COLLAPSE
Uni-
versity
A few big Life Science
Uni’s. Intense
collaboration with
companies. MOOCs
and TEDx’s (3rd
generation model:
innovation)
Many regional
universities that
specialise. 2nd
generation
(teaching and
research).
Reduced public
funding, struggle to
keep alive and stay
relevant. Back to first
generation university
(teaching).
Applied
research
Moves into (applied)
universities.
Moves into applied
(higher) education.
Relatively important
over fundamental
research..
Farm
research
stations
Public and collective
funding ends;
disappear
More intertwined
with applied
research and
advisory service.
disappear
Advisory
service
Service provided by
multi-nationals and
their computer-
generated advice.
Mix of public
extension service
and commercial
advisory
organisations.
Disappear, some help
from local do-gooders
/ lead farmers. Big
role of donors
Can we make AKIS more robust ?
Experiment with public-private partnerships
Welcome regions, cities and NGO’s as partners
Create links (cross-overs) with other sectors: Bio-economy, energy, ict, food & health, logistics etc.
Transdisciplinary, Social dialogue, Governance issues
Create research-infrastructures that foster collaboration (ERA), that support national / regional research and innovation and help to introduce E-Science
Don’t forget education - link it better in AKIS
Collaborate with international partners (US, China, India) and better integrate AR and ARD
Case study: The Netherlands and its history
• Public research in agriculture dates from the 1880s
• Ministry of Agriculture responsible for agricultural education
• Investments in education, extension and research is one of themost important policy instruments of the Ministry of Agriculture (and 40% of its budget)
• helps also in national co-governance politics
• EER Triptych: Education, Extension and Research
• Contributed to the modernization process after WO II
• Based on classical linear model of innovation
The linear model of innovation
Figure The linear model of innovation
Fundamental Science
Applied Science
Education (future generation) & Extension (current generation
farmers)
Farming practice
Generation of Innovations
Transfer of Innovations
Application of Innovations
Driving forces for institutional changes in R&D
Table 2 Driving forces in Dutch agriculture that lead to institutional changes in research
Driving force From ….. To …..
Consumer demand Production of (basic) food
Value added by food chain
Public interest Modernisation of farming Cope with externalities, supply
management and ‘consumer
concerns’ (like landscape and animal welfare)
Labour market Hidden unemployment in
farming, low education and local labour markets
Regional labour markets with shortages and well educated farmers,
Farm households Weak integration in markets
Heavily integrated, often non-farm income of spouse
Farm business Lack of (access to) capital
Capital intensive, high land prices
(collateral), well integrated in credit market
Organisation food chain Small local cooperatives Large multinationals
Institutional changes to improve performance
Privatisation of extension: end of EER triptych (1980s)
Applied research institutes merged into agency outside civil service
● and from input to output finance
● Shift from technical research to environmental / social
● more multidisciplinary
● decline co-financing by Commodity Boards (heterogeneous farms)
● PPS matching schemes (AKK)
1996 – merge applied research institutes and university
● different organizational integration models
Institutional changes to improve performance
• Transition to sustainable agriculture:
• InnovationNetwork: radical new concepts
• Transforum: towards Open Agro-InnovationSystem
• More research by regional agricultural schools
• to solve the knowledge paradox
• ‘good in science, bad in innovation’
• How to assess effectiveness and efficiency of suchdecisions?
• not by productivity analysis but what else?
M&E Transition to agro innovation system
Knowledge creation is not a linear process
More Mode 2 than Mode 1 (Gibbons)
Triple Helix: dynamics of networks important
Mode 1 Mode 2
Academic Oriented towards application
Discipline-oriented Transdisciplinary
Homogeneous Heterogeneous
Linear and stable Non-linear and volatile
Academic quality control Quality management on a broader set of criteria
Accountable to peers Accountable to society
Trends in universities
Medieval or First
Generation University
Humboldt or Second
Generation University
Third Generation
University
First Transition
Period
Second Transition
Period
J.G. Wissema Associates bv
Thanks to R. Rabbinge
Emerging: The 3G University and the know
how carousel
Know how carousel: the moreelements, the more the others are
reinforced. Synergy and scalecreate winners
Scientificresearch and
education
Private R&Dinstitutions
R&Ddepartments of
companies,Technoparks
Financialinfrastructure
Professionalsupport
organisations
Technostarters
J.G. Wissema Associates bv
Thanks to R. Rabbinge
Contours of a 3G University
Cooperation: via know how carousel and otherways. The 3G University is a network university
Addition of know how exploitation as thirdobjective. Know how exploitation will be integratedwith research and education
Recovery of academic integrity
End of direct government contribution
● Fundamental research from state grants/donations
● Applied research from industrial and state grants
● Education via market mechanism, students pay full fees and get support from state or other grants
J.G. Wissema Associates bv
Thanks to R. Rabbinge
The Wageningen approach: biological
Gene/ Molecule
Cell
Organism
Products
Ecosystem
Planet
technologies
The Wageningen approach: biological and social
Individual
Society
Community
Household
Gene/ MoleculeGene/ Molecule
Cell
Organism
Products
Ecosystem
Planet
Policy & limiting conditions
institutions
technologies
peopleprofitplanet
Tenure track at Wageningen University
Wageningen University & Research offers young talented scientists a challenging career trajectory, Tenure Track. We have the ambition to attract top scientific talent and to stimulate their development.
Chances for top scientific talent
You will start as an Assistant Professor and will grow into the position of Professor holding a personal chair in a period of twelve years. We are looking for high potentials who can excel in education and research.
This challenging career path can lead to a permanent position at Wageningen University & Research when you meet the quality criteria. You will build your own line of research.
Tenure track at Wageningen University
Development programme
During the entire trajectory you will be intensivelysupervised and coached. A development programme, especially developed for Wageningen University & Research by Leeuwendaal Advies, is included.
The development programme starts with an assessment, in which you will explore which competencies are important for you in your career and which competenciesneed to be further developed. The outcome of this survey will be used to make up your own Personal Development Plan. This plan comprehends training, group intervisionand personal coaching.
Time to excel
Working @Wageningen Economic Research
Applied research commissioned by Dutch government, European Commission (incl. H2020), Public-private partnerships
Research lines of H2020, Policy research and PPP on several topics (sustainability, food security, food-health etc.)
Career involves project management, business development.
In general excellent T-shaped skills needed in multidisciplinary project teams. Sector-knowledge.
Including presentations for non-expert audiences, policy advise.
10 Commandments (from Don Paarlberg)
1. Get your economics straight ('Nobody expects you to be a political expert, but people do expect you to know youreconomics')
2. Do not leak ('Report only to your boss'; 'if you have a poormemory, tell the truth, so you can remember what you saidearlier')
3. Do not be overly concerned with survival ('survival is a means, not an end')
4. Be sure your boss wants an honest job
5. Anticipate, probe and be objective ('try to anticipate issues and research them before they become emotional'; 'it is better to break new trails than to shift the ashes of thecampfires laid by others')
10 Commandments (from Don Paarlberg)
6. Do not be rigid ('research should be done in the spirit of inquire, and the essence of inquiry is that it is not too sureof the answers')
7. Do not malign the bureaucracy
8. Do not impugn a person's motives ('if you have a difference with a person, allow him a way to retreat withhonor' - Eisenhower)
9. Communicate well, respect deadlines ('a perfect report, oral or written, received after the deadline is useless'; 'bebrief and use plain language')
10.In special cases disregard the above
Thanks for your
attention
and we welcome
collaboration in
your projects !
www.wur.nl