Empowering the future of data driven breeding by building human capital.
New Minor Programme
Human Capital Education Programme
Human capital is the education programme of CropXR. Its purpose is to build human capital for the future and to facilitate knowledge sharing and development. The Amsterdam Green Campus coordinates the education programme activities.
Goal: Implementing new knowledge into educational modules
Breeding for resilience is a challenge that requires an interdisciplinary approach. It depends on big data and AI methodologies and leads to a transition on various levels. The workforce needs to be ready for this transition.
The Human Capital Team works on interdisciplinary education development and community building. It aims to implement new knowledge into new and existing educational modules. Lifelong learning modules for practitioners working in (the agricultural) field will be developed later in the programme to transfer new knowledge to the professional field.
Applied Research Programme
Furthermore, the Human capital team has developed an Applied Research programme in which the universities of applied sciences play an important role. The programme narrows the gap between fundamental science and cultivation practices. In addition, the team tries to connect to existing collaboration initiatives. The Learning Community unites students, scientific organisations and industrial partners and stimulates cross-pollination.
Activities
New minor programme
A new minor titled ‘Climate-Resilient Crops: Interdisciplinary Approaches’ started at Wageningen University and Research in September 2025.
The Learning Community
The Learning Community formulates clear education and research goals for some of the crops within CropXR research. Moreover, the Learning Community stimulates synergies on various levels between students, scientists and industrial partners. A good example of this is the research conducted by students from universities of applied sciences in collaboration with industrial partners.
People
Interview with Atoesa Farohki
Meet Atoesa, coordinator of the CropXR education activities.
Team
Education Director
Christa Testerink, Education Director EduXR, Professor of Plant Physiology, WUR
- Alysha Somer, PhD candidate, WUR
- Anna Neefjes, PhD candidate, UvA
- Atoesa Farokhi, Coordinator, Amsterdam Green Campus (UvA)
- Ben Noordijk, PhD candidate and lecturer bioinformatics, WUR
- Dick de Ridder, Professor of Bioinformatics, WUR
- Elysa Overdijk, Lecturer Plant Physiology, WUR
- Koen Beumer, Assistant professor Societal Implications of Science and Technology, UU
- Mariana Silva Artur, Assistant professor Plant Physiology, WUR
- Milan Plasmeijer, Researcher Green Biotechnology, Hogeschool Inholland
- Roos van Maanen, Director, Amsterdam Green Campus (UvA)
- Sjoerd Smit, Project leader, Amsterdam Green Campus (UvA)