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Friday October 7, two colleagues will defend their PhD thesis in Leeuwarden. Yujia Luo is one of them.
As a small kid, she was afraid of mud and was disgusted about the idea of playing with sand. Now, Yujia Luo is the first PhD student to finish a thesis in the Wetsus Soil theme. With her luggage already sent to Ireland, Wetsus certainly was not the most likely place she would end up in.
The science behind the person, and the person behind the science.
A nightmare
“I never imagined I would be studying soil, but here I am!” says Yujia Luo, one of the two PhD-students pioneering in Wetsus soil theme. Though she never was a soilicologist or had the intention of being one, Yujia is the first PhD student to defend her thesis in the Wetsus Soil theme. “My mom told me that I used to cry as soon as I got some dirt om my shoes when I was young, and I would never be interested in it. She was even more surprised that I enjoyed growing crops for an experiment. And getting in the dirt was something she could have never imagined. But I changed.” A lot actually.
“Being as scientist is what I had always wanted to. But that was because I thought researchers are often working alone. Nicely on their own. Which I would not mind back then. I used to not want to talk to anyone as it evoked such anxiety in me. Luckily, I learned to work together during my Masters in Wageningen.” The whole interconnective basis of Wetsus must have been like a nightmare to her at the time. But that never had been her plan anyway.
A return package from Ireland
Yujia was already determined to do a PhD in Ireland. “I was working in Wageningen as a researcher at the time and got this chance to do my PhD in Ireland. And I would have gone, were it not for an English test I still had to do. By this time, I was convinced I would spend the next three years there – in fact, I had already sent my luggage there!”
Yet there was another chance for Yujia: Wetsus. Although she was not an expert in soils, and Wetsus did not have a theme on soils yet. Her underground water-related research at Wageningen and the connection with her supervisor there, had scouted her as the perfect candidate to pioneer a new dirt theme. And her previous research and laboratory experience would set the basis for this. One return package later, Yujia found herself at the dawn of the soil theme of Wetsus.
Though antonyms at first glance, soil is an essential part of water technology research. Knowing how to treat the ground, makes us understand how to retain water and even absorb CO2. Yujia’s task was to improve the soil using organic amendments – compounds like compost. “We now put chemicals in the ground to make the land fertile, but the question was – is there another way? Can we harness the power of the microbes already present in the soil?”
A black box
It would first require her to study the topic though. “I wanted to learn more on soil myself first. I spent half my PhD studying in Wageningen, Utrecht, and Germany just to get a grasp of what I could find out.” But with that, she was ready to face the science.
“We found out that adding organic amendments, no matter the type of amendment or soil, does little to the soil itself. Although, I did find something unexpected.”
A popular idea is that compost bacteria and nutrients can enrich a land. Using bioinformatics, Yujia challenged this theory. “It is even a widespread idea in literature. And much to my surprise, upon investigating the microbes in the soil once compost was added, the opposite is true. By bringing in the organic amendment, you introduce invaders. Microbes may compete with the native population and plants for resources.” Or at least, that is the theory now.
Though it is hard to make this claim for sure. “Soil is like a black box. It is easy to see what comes in, and what comes out, but to truly understand the process is a big challenge. There are so many microbes, and complex interactions between them and soil variables.”
Planting seeds
And because of it, Yujia stays around another year. “I would love to continue this research. I enjoy learning in any form so much. And I have a feeling I finally know where to head next. The protocols are in place, another PhD is going to pick up where I left. We’ve already seen potential in another project on extracellular polymeric substances to improve soil structure and overall health of the soil.”
Abstract
The realisation of a circular economy has thus far unfolded under the assumption that it would fit within existing economic arrangements. In practice, we witness many circular initiatives struggling to give shape to their ambitions, let alone develop to maturity. These past months, various material recycling organisations terminated their activities, seeing virgin alternatives from other parts of the world flooding the market at prices against they cannot compete. If the transition towards a circular economy (i.e. an economy of value preservation) is to be taken seriously, a new perspective on value in our economic system seems unavoidable, as the rewriting of the rules of the economic game. At this moment, current perceptions of value stand in the way of this transition both at micro as well as macro levels. Several contours for a collective exploration of new directions of value and economic configuration that foster circular transition will be addressed.
Abstract
In his key note he will conclude after a life of innovations that it is impossible that humanity will stay within the save planetary boundaries with innovation only. We should be more critical about the behaviour of the rich population in the world and more critical about new innovations that prove to be dangerous, like the PFAS crisis shows at this moment. In his keynote he will investigate how to look at the world that can stay within the save planetary boundaries, how should we change ourselves? It is clear if we only talk about the words of science and systems we miss the essential words of how we should cooperate and change ourselves. And his search for coherent save innovations. Which innovations will be save and will lead to a fair and sustainable world? And will lead to a world we want to live in.
Abstract
There is a growing number of new sustainable, inclusive, cohesive, participatory, just and humane economic models. A possible next step in the discourse about them is the comparative analysis in order to find out key commonalities, potential synergies, and “requirements” for a future-fit economic model. The author and initiator of the Economy for the Common Good provides an overview of these „new sustainable economic models“ and compares them according to underlying values, principles, and practical ways of implementation. The keynote addresses the cooperative spirit of the conference and prepares the ground for its public highlight on the eve of June 3rd, the round table with representatives of diverse future-fit economic models.
Abstract
The scientific debate on whether economies should always continue to grow increasingly becomes a political and societal debate. On the one hand further growth for the most affluent countries seems neither possible nor valuable, but on the other hand there is still lack of understanding and knowledge what a non-growing economy should look like and could best be governed. In this lecture we discuss various policy measures that can be realistically implemented, take into account government finances and aim at a higher quality of life despite a non-growing economy.
Abstract
Democracy is under pressure, and less and less able to stir the economy into a sustainable direction. Therefore, to stabilize democracy and to make possible the socio-ecological transformation of the economy, democratic principles need to be implemented directly in the economy. This is not only a matter of morality, but also has practical advantages. Democratizing the economy can increase legitimacy and take advantage of the “knowledge of the many” to accelerate the transformation. Democratic practices, especially deliberation, allow bringing together different forms of knowledge, which is crucial for the local implementation of principles of social and ecological sustainability. This talk explores what this idea means in more concrete terms, from democratic participation in the workplace to the democratization of time.
Abstract
Over the past decades, markets have conventionally been seen as the best instrument to stimulate economic growth and enhance prosperity and well-being. The automatic link between markets and economic growth is increasingly questioned, however, as well as the automatic link between economic growth and enhancement of well-being. This has led to attempts to capture well-being development more directly than through GDP per capita figures and has produced a more variegated picture of well-being growth. Also, this has led to a shift of focus to other coordination systems than the market, as primarily the state but increasingly also the association. Analyses of the historical record suggest that especially the latter could be a vital component in future well-being.
