Eric Ranst
Prof. Em. Dr. Eric VAN RANST
Nationality : Belgian
Professor Emeritus and Honorary Director of the International Training Centre for Post-graduate Soil Scientists, the International Centre for Physical Land Resources and of the Laboratory of Soil Science at Ghent University.
PhD Earth Sciences, MSc Soil Science and MSc Geology from Ghent University (Belgium), and certificate for training in advanced chemical methods for soil and clay minerals research of the NATO Advanced Study Institute at the University of Illinois (USA). Started professional career in 1976 as assistant at the Laboratory of Soil Science and the International Training Centre for Post-graduate Soil Scientists, Ghent University. In 1982 recruited by the Flemish Interuniversity Council (VLIR) as lecturer soil science at the National Advanced School of Agriculture (NASA) in Yaoundé, Cameroon. From 1985 until 1991 attached at the Dschang University Centre (DUC) in Cameroon as Head of the Belgian Project, Head of Soil Science Department and Chairman of the Support Service Commission of DUC. Since 1991 nominated Professor (Full Professor since 1996) and Director of the Laboratory of Soil Science at the Ghent University.
Research activities are mainly focusing on understanding the formation and evolution of soils, their properties, functions and quality based on fieldwork and advanced physicochemical, micro-morphological and mineralogical analyses.
From 1993 until 2007 chairman of the Forest Soil Expert Panel of the UN/ECE ICP (United Nations/Economic Commission of Europe; International Cooperative Programme on Assessment and Monitoring of Air Pollution Effects on Forests in the ECE region). Promoter of the International Course Programme (ICP) ‘Physical Land Resources’, and of several research and development projects in Africa, Southeast Asia and South America.
Since 1995 Honorary Research Professor at the Institute of Natural Resources and Regional Planning of the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences and since 1996 Academic Advisor of the Laboratory of Material Cycling in Pedosphere, Institute of Soil Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing, China. From 2001 until 2015 Director of the International Training Centre for Post-graduate Soil Scientists and of the International Centre for Physical Land Resources. Member (Director in 2007 and in 2015) of the Section of Natural and Medical Sciences of the Belgian Royal Academy of Overseas Sciences; member and President (2009-2011) of the Belgian Society of Soil Science and of the National Committee of Soil Science, and member of the European Soil Bureau Network of the JRC (Joint Research Centre) of the European Commission. In 2012 honoured with the Chinese Government Friendship Award; the highest honour that the Chinese Government confers to foreign experts who have made outstanding contributions to China’s development.
Member of the editorial board of 8 scientific journals. Promoter of 41 PhD and 160 MSc theses. Author and co-author of 26 books, 44 chapters in books, 129 soil maps, about 250 scientific papers in international and national journals, about 215 papers/abstracts in proceedings and congress transactions, and about 110 technical reports in the field of soil science.
Nationality : Belgian
Professor Emeritus and Honorary Director of the International Training Centre for Post-graduate Soil Scientists, the International Centre for Physical Land Resources and of the Laboratory of Soil Science at Ghent University.
PhD Earth Sciences, MSc Soil Science and MSc Geology from Ghent University (Belgium), and certificate for training in advanced chemical methods for soil and clay minerals research of the NATO Advanced Study Institute at the University of Illinois (USA). Started professional career in 1976 as assistant at the Laboratory of Soil Science and the International Training Centre for Post-graduate Soil Scientists, Ghent University. In 1982 recruited by the Flemish Interuniversity Council (VLIR) as lecturer soil science at the National Advanced School of Agriculture (NASA) in Yaoundé, Cameroon. From 1985 until 1991 attached at the Dschang University Centre (DUC) in Cameroon as Head of the Belgian Project, Head of Soil Science Department and Chairman of the Support Service Commission of DUC. Since 1991 nominated Professor (Full Professor since 1996) and Director of the Laboratory of Soil Science at the Ghent University.
Research activities are mainly focusing on understanding the formation and evolution of soils, their properties, functions and quality based on fieldwork and advanced physicochemical, micro-morphological and mineralogical analyses.
From 1993 until 2007 chairman of the Forest Soil Expert Panel of the UN/ECE ICP (United Nations/Economic Commission of Europe; International Cooperative Programme on Assessment and Monitoring of Air Pollution Effects on Forests in the ECE region). Promoter of the International Course Programme (ICP) ‘Physical Land Resources’, and of several research and development projects in Africa, Southeast Asia and South America.
Since 1995 Honorary Research Professor at the Institute of Natural Resources and Regional Planning of the Chinese Academy of Agricultural Sciences and since 1996 Academic Advisor of the Laboratory of Material Cycling in Pedosphere, Institute of Soil Science, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Nanjing, China. From 2001 until 2015 Director of the International Training Centre for Post-graduate Soil Scientists and of the International Centre for Physical Land Resources. Member (Director in 2007 and in 2015) of the Section of Natural and Medical Sciences of the Belgian Royal Academy of Overseas Sciences; member and President (2009-2011) of the Belgian Society of Soil Science and of the National Committee of Soil Science, and member of the European Soil Bureau Network of the JRC (Joint Research Centre) of the European Commission. In 2012 honoured with the Chinese Government Friendship Award; the highest honour that the Chinese Government confers to foreign experts who have made outstanding contributions to China’s development.
Member of the editorial board of 8 scientific journals. Promoter of 41 PhD and 160 MSc theses. Author and co-author of 26 books, 44 chapters in books, 129 soil maps, about 250 scientific papers in international and national journals, about 215 papers/abstracts in proceedings and congress transactions, and about 110 technical reports in the field of soil science.
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