New strategy for AGRO
The last 5 months have been marked by the corona pandemic, where the focus has been on getting the planned activities carried out. Although the pandemic is far from over, and we are facing an autumn and a winter, where viral diseases often thrive better than in the summer, it is time to look ahead to a time after Covid-19. More specifically, we are starting the work of creating the department's strategy towards 2025, which will be part of an overall AU strategy.
The strategy work was launched back in 2019, where a self-evaluation report was made. It formed the basis for the evaluation carried out by an international panel in the autumn of 2019. The panel made a number of recommendations, which we have discussed in the department management. Among these recommendations, the department management have chosen to focus on our publication strategy (more articles in “high impact” journals), our vulnerable financial situation as a result of a constantly declining payment for our policy support and short-term grants, and change-of-generation to name some examples. To focus on the latter, a working group has recently been set up to come up with suggestions for career paths for junior VIPs.
Now it is your turn to get involved. The first step is meetings in the individual sections, where we want your input on a number of issues concerning the department, your section, collaboration in the section, internationalisation, applications and fundraising, education, and new technologies. In addition to contributing to the strategy, these inputs will also be used to assess whether there is a need for organisational change at the department.
After the meetings in the sections, the department management and the leaders of the various committees will collect the feedback, after which the work of writing the strategy will begin. For the senior VIP meeting in November, there will be a draft of a new strategy, which will be discussed, after which the strategy will be completed. But to get there, we need the input from all of you.