Development and Rural Innovation (MDR) / MSc

Aims

Innovations in the field of agriculture, natural resource management, food industry, etc. have a dual nature. They consist, on the one hand, of new technological practices and artifacts, and, on the other, of new socio-organisational arrangements between a variety of societal actors. As a result, the modern world demands not only engineers but also skilled professionals with an understanding of social as well as technological aspects of innovation processes, who can apply that knowledge in a variety of contexts across the globe. Bridging and managing the knowledge discontinuities that are inherent to this duality requires a fundamental understanding of socio-technical innovation and change processes. The challenge for MAK students is to integrate their previously acquired technical competencies with new cognitive skills at an academic level of thinking in social sciences in order to make innovations work.

The MAK programme wants to train new kind of academically equipped professionals with a BSc-degree in the technical or management sciences involved in agricultural and rural development, in natural resource management, food industry etc. They will be prepared to work as researchers, policy makers, development practitioners, human resource developers, etc. for the public sector, for (non-governmental) development organisations, agro-industries, the communication/extension branch, etc.

Comptencies

More specifically, a graduate of the MSc Management of Agro-ecological Knowledge and Social Change, is capable of:
- integrating his/her previously acquired technical and societal competencies with social science perspectives, theory and cognitive skills at an academic level of thinking in view of creating synergetic processes of socio-technical change in a variety of complex contexts and agro-ecological settings in developing countries in particular;
- defining, structuring, formulating, conducting and reflecting on social empirical research in a cross-disciplinary context in general and in a context of sustainable agro-ecological resource management in particular;
- designing, implementing, facilitating and evaluating social-technical change programmes for sustainable agro-ecological resource management, based on a proper understanding of the situation and application of related theoretical insights;
- recognising and assessing a (potential) conflict over resources and of facilitating a multi-stakeholder platform for conflict resolution in view of preventing escalation and identifying new sustainable perspectives and opportunities for social actors involved;
- assessing and evaluating (inter-) institutional and organisational change processes and of translating these into strategies for capacity building in its broadest sense;
- translating research findings and/or outcomes of the of socio-technical change and innovation processes into conducive and supportive policy interventions or strategies for policy development.

MAK provides a unique pre-dominantly social-science programme, consisting of a combination of disciplinary and problem-oriented courses, administered in an interactive style where 'learning from each other' plays an important role. The programme is highly thesis oriented. A large part of the subject-matter, methodology and design courses serve the preparation of an empirical research project offering students the opportunity to apply the newly gained insights to a concrete situation on a topic of their own choice relevant to their own professional interests and preferences.

Specializations

Thesis can be taken in:
- Communication and Innovation Studies (Communication, Facilitation and Design focus);
- Technology and Agrarian Development (Institutional and Technography focus) and;
- Rural Development Sociology (focus on Livelihood Strategies and Local Knowledge Issues).
Students will only be admitted to the thesis upon completion of the compulsory subjects. Students with two negative study advises will not be allowed to do the thesis.

Programme coordinator

Ir C.A.M. Boon, Mansholtlaan 10-12, 6708 PA Wageningen
Phone.: 0317- (4)82772
Email: andre.boon@wur.nl
Fax: 0317-(4)84791

Study adviser(s)

Ir C.A.M. Boon, Mansholtlaan 10-12, 6708 PA Wageningen
Phone.: 0317- (4)82772
Email: andre.boon@wur.nl
Fax: 0317-(4)84791