The Aeres Group consists of four educational institutes:

• CAH Dronten University of Applied Sciences (Christelijke Agrarische Hogeschool Dronten),
• Stoas University of Applied Sciences and Teacher Education (Stoas Hogeschool),
• PTC+ – Practical Training Centres,
• Groenhorst Colleges and Training Centres.

In 2010 the Aeres Group had approximately 1.200 employees, 8.500 students (not counting the thousands of short term trainees), and a turn-over of close to € 100 million.

The Aeres Group wants to contribute to a green sector which:

• produces, processes and distributes food in a sustainable way;
• creates a (green) environment for man, animal and nature;
• improves the quality of life.

To achieve this the green sector needs skilled, flexible and enterprising professionals.
Professionals who know how to find the balance between economical, ecological and social interests. The Aeres Group wants to educate, train and coach these professionals.
In addition we want to cooperate actively to innovations for and the social debate about the green sector. Nationally as well as internationally.

A long history, a lot of experience

The Aeres Group was founded in January 2004 from the merger of CAH Dronten University of Applied Sciences (CAH) and Groenhorst College, an institute offering vocational agricultural education. In January 2006 Aeres Group was expanded with Stoas University of Applied Sciences and Teacher Education and in 2009 with PTC+.

The participating institutes themselves are much older:

• CAH was founded in 1954. In 2009 it was rewarded the honour of having two of the best agricultural courses in the Netherlands;
• Groenhorst is the result of many mergers. A quatre of the 11 colleges were founded before or just after the Second World War and exist already for more than 70 years. One started only four years ago;
• Stoas University of Applied Sciences and Teacher Education is the only institute of its kind in the Netherlands and there are little institutes like it in the world. It was founded in 1981;
• PTC+ is a leading international agricultural training institute. It was also established after a series of mergers and has 50 years of experience.

Key activities

The key activities of Aeres group are:

• Providing education and training in the “green” sector: agricultural production chains, agribusiness and land management;
• Training lecturers for “green” education and training;
• Designing and implementing applied research;
• Service provision and developing and implementing projects in its fields of expertise;
• Linking to organizations and businesses in the green sector.

International outlook

Aeres group looks beyond national boundaries by actively promoting non-Dutch students to study at its institutes, and implementing abroad activities in its core fields of expertise. We encourage our staff, pupils, students and course members to think and act internationally.