| 1974 | Bachelor of Arts in Biology (BA) completed at the University of Groningen, The Netherlands |
| 1976 | Doctorandus degree (equivalent to a MSc) completed at the University of Groningen |
| 1979 | Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) completed at the University of Groningen |
| 1980 - 1982 | Postdoctoral studies at the universities of Groningen, Melbourne and Western Australia |
| 1982 - 1984 | Postdoctoral studies at the University of Groningen |
| 1985 - 1997 | Chair of Ecophysiology at the Utrecht University, The Netherlands |
| 1991 | Visiting Professor at the University of Bern, Switzerland |
| 1991 | Chairman of a European Network on Whole Plant Physiology |
| 1992 - 1998 | Head of the Department of Plant Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Utrecht University |
| 1992 - 2000 | Secretary General of the Federation of European Societies of Plant Physiology (FESPP) |
| 1993 - 1998 | Director of the Institute of Ecology and Evolutionary Biology, Utrecht University |
| 1995 | Honorary member of the Bulgarian Union of Scientists |
| 1995 | Bronze Medal received from the Faculty of Agriculture at the University of Pisa, Italy |
| 1995 - 1996 | Deputy Dean of the Faculty of Agriculture at the University of Western Australia |
| 1997 - | Fellow of the Hollandsche Maatschappij der Wetenschappen (Dutch Academy of Sciences) |
| 1997 - 1998 | Chair of Plant Ecology at the University of Western Australia |
| 1997 - 2001 | Professor of Ecophysiology (part time) at the Utrecht University |
| 1999 - 2002 | Head of Plant Sciences at the University of Western Australia |
| 2000 | Vice-President of the Australian Society of Plant Physiologists |
| 2001 | Member of the International Council on Plant Nutrition |
| 2001 | Deputy Executive of the University of Western Australia |
| 2001 - 2002 | President of the Australian Society of Plant Physiologists |
| 2002 - | Inaugural Head of the School of Plant Biology at the University of Western Australia |
| 2002 | Honorary Professorship (equivalent of an honorary doctorate) received from the China Agricultural University in Beijing |
| 2003 - | Fellow of the Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences (KNAW) |
| 2004 - | Fellow of the World Innovation Foundation |
| 2004 | Honorary Professorship received from the Chinese Academy of Sciences (Research Centre for Eco- Environmental Sciences, Beijing), China. |
