In her 25 years’ experience, Vanya Simeonova works 18 years at WUR. She has been a senior scientist in the field of sustainable regional development, land use planning and environmental policy at Environmental Siceince Group. She is currently working at the WUR’s Corporate Strategy and Account Department and managing the corporate account for international cooperation in research & education in Central & Eastern Europe (including in focus countries such as Russia, Ukraine, Poland, Bulgaria and the Baltic states etc.). She also advices on European programmes for Research and Innovation policies and funding, at the EU office and the Wageningen Grant office.
She holds MSc degrees in Agriculture & Soil Sciences and in Urban Environmental Management and a PhD in collaborative environmental governance and land use planning. Her scientific research has focused on collaborative land use governance and in development of policy tools for integrating environmental issues in land use planning in European regions. She coordinated a number of European projects funded by the European Commission among which the SPLAN project - Spatial planning and Nature conservation policy (Natura 2000) and SPIMA- Spatial dynamics and strategic planning of Metropolitan areas. Currently she contributes to the development of joint cooperation projects and initiatives of WUR in Central and Eastern Europe for introducing sustainable agriculture, bioeconomy, sustainable food systems, innovations in rural development and environment and in capacity building in education at Universities in the region.