Forest in Sweden. Photo Shutterstock Wageningen University and the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences (SLU) will be offering a Bachelor double degree, made up of Wageningen’s Forest & Nature Conservation programme and the Swedish Forest & Landscape programme.
This means in practice that WU Forest & Nature Conservation students can spend their third year in Sweden while SLU students spend their third year in Wageningen, explains programme director Gijs Elkhuizen. ‘If the exchange students pass all their courses, they will get a degree for both programmes. We are aiming for balanced numbers of exchange students and we are starting small.’
Elkhuizen thinks the double degree could be interesting for forestry students, for instance. ‘In addition to the state-of-the-art knowledge SLU has in this area, the exchange also opens up opportunities for a career in Sweden’s forestry industry.’ On the other hand, Wageningen’s multi-functional forestry could be interesting for the SLU students, says Elkhuizen. ‘In particular the societal aspects of forest and nature conservation.’
WU has been collaborating closely with SLU for some time, says Elkhuizen. ‘This double degree extends our partnership further.’ The agreement on the double degree was signed in Omnia on Tuesday 29 August. The first exchanges are due to start in September 2024.
