The research programme Industrial Ecology aims to support the ecological transformation of society and environment towards sustainability. The research subject is Industrial Ecology in its broadest definition, covering environmental systems analysis, and incorporating the social and economic aspects…

Are you thinking about studying Industrial Ecology? Learn more and watch the introduction video.

The master’s programme Industrial Ecology at Leiden University is an emerging scientific discipline that takes a systemic approach to environmental problems. The master in Industrial Ecology is a co-operation between Leiden University and Delft University of Technology.

The master's programme Industrial Ecology (joint degree Leiden University and Delft University of Technology) is unique in the Netherlands and one of the few programmes in the world combining natural science, engineering, and social science for science-based solutions for sustainability problems.

Institute of Environmental Sciences, Faculty of Science, Leiden University

Industrial Ecology is an emerging scientific discipline that takes a systemic approach to sustainability problems. An interdisciplinary approach, integrating an engineering, environmental and social science perspective is essential for sustainable development. The Master in Industrial Ecology is a co-operation…

Industrial Ecology is an emerging scientific discipline that takes a systemic approach to sustainability problems. An interdisciplinary approach, integrating an engineering, environmental and social science perspective is essential for sustainable development. The Master in Industrial Ecology is a co-operation…

How do humans, non-humans and their interactions and relations shape the home as ecological and social space?

How can we let the sonic speak in public urban environments? What is the function and position of sound in our daily encounters with urbanity? How do we experience cities aurally? This was the topic of Marcel Cobussen's inaugural lecture on November 28th, 2016.

Many of the most acute problems we face today are global: they transcend national boundaries, they put the future of society and even humanity at peril, and they can only be addressed through international cooperation. However, what can international cooperation deliver? Find out in the minor Ecology,…

Promotores: Prof.dr. H. van Veen & Prof.dr. W. de Boer (Wageningen University)

Mission: The department of Industrial Ecology is dealing with research into the development of tools for decision making on sustainable production and consumption.

Study information

How soil microbial composition impacts structure and composition of the aboveground plant and animal communities?

Promotor: E. Gittenberger, Co-promotores: L.P. van Ofwegen; B.W. Hoeksema

The soil-dwelling, filamentous bacteria of the genus Streptomyces are renowned for their production of useful secondary metabolites including antibiotics. The work described in this thesis provides new insights on the role and regulation of antibiotic production and resistance in these bacteria.

The aim of this thesis was to develop and evaluate a Ecological Professional Development Model to support preservice biology teachers to direct their own subject-specific ecological professional development route.

The mycorrhizal symbiosis is among the most widespread species interactions on Earth⁠. This thesis focuses on orchid mycorrhiza, a unique mycorrhizal type that has caught scientists’ attention for centuries⁠.

Filamentous Actinobacteria, such as Streptomyces, produce a plethora of chemically diverse bioactive metabolites that have found applications across medicine, agriculture and biotechnology.

Acidobacteria is a widely distributed phylum but their functional roles in ecosystem processes are still largely elusive.

Promotor: Prof. dr. Arnold Tukker & Prof. dr. René Kemp (Maastricht University)

How have human-environmental entanglements changed in the Gulf of San Miguel, Darien, Panama, from the first traces human practices through to the present?

Promotors: Prof.dr. G.R. de Snoo, Prof.dr. H. Leirs (Univ. Antwerpen), Co-promotor: H.H. de Iongh

Birds sing to be heard, but how do they cope with increasing noise levels? Which species persist in cities and why? And do they thrive or suffer in the urban soundscape?

Can we predict fluctuations in suicidal ideation in a person’s daily life, from hour to hour?

Promotor: P.G.L. Klinkhamer, Co-Promotores: K. Vrieling, P.P.J. Mulder

What are the global relationships between environmental conditions and abundance of distinct types of mycorrhizal fungi in soil and plant roots?

An interdisciplinary and innovative research group combining History, underwater archaeology, GIS and wood provenancing methods.

The first international master programme in Industrial Ecology worldwide starting in September 2011.

This thesis combines field and laboratory studies to address some of the most pressing questions in the field of microplastic research.

Do Ethiopian wolves change their diet and foraging strategy in the landscape under different land uses? How land use affect Afro-alpine rodent Communities? How important are Afro-alpine natural resources utilisation for local livelihoods? What is the human perception of conflict in the Afro-alpine a…

What is movements and corridors of the Bornean pygmy elephant in Sebuku forest? What is the nature of human-elephant conflict in Nunukan District in time and space? What are the diets of the Bornean elephants related to crop raiding?

How can we quantify the density of species within a community through environmental DNA concentrations?

Promotor: Prof.dr. G.R. de Snoo, Prof.dr. G.A. Persoon

What is the population size/structure and distribution of tiger and leopard inside the Bardia National Park (BNP) compared with the population outside? What is the movement and home range and conflict pattern in time and space of tigers and leopards inside the BNP compared with outside? What constitutes…

Do offshore windfarms affect the local biodiversity of the pelagic fish community and are fish deterred or attracted by sounds?

Promotores: G.R. de Snoo, B. Sinsin, Co-Promotor: H.H. de Iongh

Dr. Irina Herzon has given a lecture about

Ethiopian wolves are endangered diurnal Afroalpine rodent hunters. I investigated the interaction between wolves, rodents and human land use in Borena Sayint National Park (BSNP), Abune Yosef and Aboi Gara in Ethiopia.

The master’s programme Industrial Ecology (IE) started in 2004 with 12 students and has increased until 90 students from 20 different countries this year.

The master specialisations Industrial Ecology and Mathematics ranked highest among the master specialisations in Leiden.

The Leiden- Delft joined MSc programme on Industrial Ecology has been accredited by the NVAO as an independent MSc programme within Leiden University and Delft University of Technology. Industrial Ecology is an emergent scientific discipline that promotes a systemic approach to sustainability problems,…

Dirk Uittenbogaard, a student on the Delft-Leiden Master’s in Industrial Ecology, has won a gold medal for rowing at the Olympic Games in Tokyo. Uittenbogaard took gold in the men’s quadruple sculls, together with Abe Wiersma, Tone Wieten and Koen Metsemakers.

Together with a large international team of scientists, researchers Peter van Bodegom and Nadia Soudzilovskaia of the Leiden Institute of Environmental Sciences (CML) have created maps of variability in plant trait distribution across the globe. The new maps have been published in Proceedings of the…

Professor Geert de Snoo, Dean of the Faculty of Science at Leiden University, has been appointed Director of the Netherlands Institute of Ecology (NIOO-KNAW) with effect from 1 November 2019. He will stand down from his role as Dean of the Faculty of Science with effect from 1 September. De Snoo will…