Although there were limited places available in the room on Monday, the annual ceremony drew 1300 online guests. People appear to be getting used to hybrid events. This year's theme was the cross-pollination between art and science.
This was reflected in the programme, where a topic such as CRISPR-Cas was followed by a graceful dance performance by the National Ballet. For artist Herman de Vries, nature is a great source of inspiration. He took the audience on a tour of his work but also shared his way of thinking and creating.
As is customary, young scientists also shared their views. The Aruban Wen Ying WU, Nikita Sajeev and Maximilian Kardung discussed their research. During the ceremony, WUR announced its plans to offer free licences for CRISPR-Cas technology patented by WUR. The licences may only be used by non-profit organisations for plant breeding. Thus, WUR hopes to contribute to a healthier, more sustainable, more equitable and more resilient global food production.
Meet the key players of the Opening of the Academic Year here, or review the full ceremony.
