Wim Cornelis is Full Professor in Agro-Environmental Soil Physics at Ghent University, Belgium, where he leads the Soil Physics Team in the Soil-Environment Systems Exploration & Engineering Group. He holds the UNESCO Chair on Eremology and is Academic Coordinator of the Erasmus Mundus MSc in Soils and Global Change, in partnership with Aarhus University, Göttingen University and BOKU. He is Treasurer and Executive Committee member of the European Society for Soil Conservation and Secretary of the Visual Soil Examination Working Group of ISTRO. He served as Visiting Professor at the Chinese Academy of Sciences (2011–2015), and is Guest or Adjunct Professor in Brussels, Indonesia and Trinidad & Tobago. He is a fellow of the Belgian Royal Academy of Overseas Sciences. He graduated from Ghent University with a PhD in 2002. His research focuses on soil hydro-physical characterization and climate-resilient cropping systems to enhance soil health, water regulation, and productivity. His team collaborates globally to test a variety of sustainable-land management practices. As of 2025, he has secured over 100 research grants, authored 240 peer-reviewed papers (223 SCI), 21 book chapters, 300+ conference papers, and 6 books. His h index is 47 (Web of Science) and 62 (Google Scholar). He has supervised 40 PhDs (17 ongoing) and 150+ MScs. He is editor of Soil Use and Management and guest editor for Catena, Water, and Agriculture, Ecosystems & Environment.
Ghent University
Ghent, Belgium
Department of Environment
Fellow
Royal Academy of Overseas Sciences
Visiting professor
Chinese Academy of Sciences
Francqui Chairholder 2025-2026
Gembloux Agro-BioTech Université de Liege