NEWSLINE, Number 50, November 2001, ISSN 0159-4419
EDUCATION IN FOOD SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
AT THE BEGINNING OF THE 21st CENTURY
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PROF. ELISABETH DUMOULIN
"MANY STUDENTS ARE SCHOOLED, NOT EDUCATED"
Education is the development of scientific knowledge in Food Science and Technology: Basic Science, Biological sciences, Engineering Sciences, Economics and Management, with research training periods and industrial placement. However, additional skills are also needed, such as problem analysis and solving; interpersonal skills; communication skills, including the ability the speak and write in multiple languages ; team work; self-learning capacity; self assessment; creativity, enthusiasm and curiosity. Furthermore, some topics need some additional scientific knowledge in medicine, agriculture, chemistry, physics, and electronics.
Food Science and Technology studies are multi-disciplinary. As it is impossible to teach/learn everything during food studies time, a choice must be made between basic fundamental knowledge and specialization. It means that different types of degrees exist: in food science, in food engineering, in food management, or a mixture of the three. There is no universal curriculum, but we must be able to understand each other.
In Europe, for example, we find a great diversity between western and eastern European countries; between degrees, bachelor, master, higher education; duration of studies (3-4-5 years); and with degrees that are more academic or more technical. Some degrees are focused on food science, on food engineering or food management, or a combination of all three. In addition, the modes of assessment vary. To facilitate the exchange of students between universities in different countries we are trying to implement a common European system of credits (60 credits ECTS per academic year).
This great diversity becomes richness, if the facilitators are able to exchange information and experience.
For that reason, a European network of 58 universities (encompassing 27 languages) teaching in the food area (Food Net) was created - with the help of the European Union. This is not just a list of universities. Partners had meetings, they worked together, and they know each other. The network has now established databases on curriculum, on continuing education courses given by the different universities, on on-going Ph.D. topics, on new teaching methods. This represents an important source of information for exchanges in education and in research.
Food Science and Technology education in high school begins with an awareness of how food science and technology fits into life and the transmission of the knowledge of "safe" equilibrated food. At the university levels (B.Sc., M.Sc., Ph.D.), education in food science and technology is aimed at increasing the level of specific knowledge and is teaching students how to apply and use this knowledge as active, responsible members in the human society. Education in food science and technology is a lifelong education needed to refresh, to complete knowledge; to learn new methods in different fields, new technologies…
At the beginning of the 21st century, a lack of enthusiasm from young people for science based courses including Food Science has been observed. The following initiatives have been taken by universities to encourage high school students to attend university, to study science based subjects.
In addition, a web site for food information has been established, maintained by professors and students, to answer questions. Disinterest in science-based courses, and F S & T in particular, requires the help of the food industry, high school teachers, society and parents to foster a better approach/knowledge/image about food.
Children, parents, teachers and adults in general and "consumers" are all educated. University students are an integral part because their strength is in their ability to work and learn together to achieve results. We must take into consideration the changing characteristics of these university students. They have disparate levels of knowledge (some are more or less "academic"), and some are part-time students. Some have full-time jobs and less time to spend at university than others do.
High schools, parents, society, and industry all help to educate. For example, in a food company recruited people need training specific to the company, to the job, to the international dimension, to give the right main direction at the beginning of recruitment, and staff training is organised all along the work life (team building, hygiene). There is also a need for teachers at university, to teach scientific knowledge, to create interest, and curiosity. The question for teachers is what kind of staff are they preparing?
Teachers are responsible for the choice of content, the resource material, and how students receive it and for the accurate assessment of skills achieved. Teachers need to move from "traditional teaching" (lecture/exam) to the "flexible approach" by using "active learning-teaching methods" and by using different techniques to develop personal skills while keeping harmonised curricula. Teachers must focus on the consumer (= student): teaching for basic knowledge, or for a specific degree, or for continuing education.
Why not use computers? They give access to so much available information. Why not join efforts and share teaching materials, using distance learning if at all possible, to offset the shortage of teachers? The answer is that adapting teaching to the consumer requires time and teacher evaluation is based on research results, not on development of new teaching/learning methods! Therefore, the university has to play an important role by supporting research and development activities in teaching and learning. Universities must train new staff and assess teaching by reviewing all aspects of course design delivery with quality control systems.
Here are several examples of the application of active learning-teaching methods. The first is in the M.Sc. Food safety and Control course. Within it is the module, Food of the Week, part of "food microbiology and hygiene". The students have previous microbiological knowledge (not necessarily in the food area). The objective is to enable the student to interpret food microbiological knowledge in the context of the management of food safety.
During a semester of 12 weeks, students study 11 foods
Each week, 2-3 volunteer students prepare an oral presentation for the whole group (25 students) with questions/answers. For that they need to define the content of the talk, to research information, to select relevant facts and to summarize in a clear presentation. In this context they will learn about microbial survival and death, effect of heat, chemical, drying…. They are responsible for their learning. Thus, the students become engaged in the learning process and they learn how to communicate. It also means that the teacher must adapt teaching to the demands of the students.
The second example involves teaching engineering (process + product), a difficult task because besides scientific knowledge it requires skills to solve multidisciplinary problems. To bring engineering experience to teaching it is essential to have the collaboration of practicing engineers.
"Expertise and diagnostic" is taught in the fifth year of the degree programme. When an engineer is asked to solve a problem in a plant, he has to apply an approach of "problem solving". Usually he has to deal with
To teach these multidisciplinary approaches, engineers and scientists from industry are asked to describe real situations they have encountered. Case studies are chosen to give different points of view: product quality, food safety, environment, lack of one ingredient, malfunctioning process...
One industrial case is proposed, which is analyzed in a limited time, involving a crisis situation requiring an industrial strategy. Examples can be recurrent defects appearing in sausage production; or need to rapidly imitate an existing product and so on. The case study is produced by industry people and assessed with the teacher. It means the teacher and industry people closely collaborate to be able to answer questions in a large context. For the student it represents a real situation and he is able to judge his capacity to solve problems.
The tools to improve teaching include the use of new technologies to allow access to the vast array of information for teaching and learning. Teaching with computers and digital learning materials are an integral part.
Students require practical training. They need laboratories and the opportunity for training periods in industry and research centers. They need to learn teamwork, critical evaluation, problem analysis and solving. They need to hone their skills with oral and written presentations. Communication skills are key as students train in industry and maintain contacts with the high schools. They need these skills when they contact other students worldwide or enter into exchanges with universities in other counties.
Teachers, on the other hand, need more contact with colleagues to exchange experiences (success, failure, questions, methods) and to create networks. They need to collaborate with other universities to organize curricula and they need to keep in touch with the high schools to encourage the teaching of good food and technology. Alumni present the way to obtain feedback on the relevance of studies and provide contact with industry. Contacts with the food industry through specific joint projects allow opportunities for teaching, research, training periods and problem solving. Lastly, teachers need to be active in their professional associations in order to know the needs of the discipline. All this is necessary both inside the country and also on the international level.
In conclusion, Food Science and Technology is made up of many disciplines and it is difficult to know everything. It is necessary to understand each other, to face different points of view and different cultures for mutual enrichment and to develop cooperation. For a better education in Food Science and Technology, we need
Keeping in mind
Education must be adapted to the country, …but globalisation exists!
With more active teaching/learning, perhaps in the end the student will have less scientific knowledge but certainly he will have more hands-on experience and he will be able to adapt himself to problems. And if some extra knowledge along life is necessary, courses must be available for that. This is the role of continuing education given by the university or by industry or by specialized organizations.
That means that the needs must be known and identified and, above all, that education must be adapted to meet the needs of today's students.
Editor's note: Professor Elisabeth Dumoulin, a member of the IUFoST Governing Council, is a Chemical Engineer and Professor of Food Engineering at ENSIA Massy, France. Professor Dumoulin is involved actively in European programmes to improve education in food studies.
ECSAAFoST NEWS
SPECIAL MEETING REPORT ON THE
FUTURE ACTIVITIES OF ECSAAFOST
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PHILLIP J. MAKHUMULA-NKHOMA, MALAWI
A special meeting for food scientists in Southern Africa took place in the South African city of Durban. The meeting was organised by the IUFoST secretariat and had the prime objective of reviving the activities of the East, Central and Southern Africa Association of Food Science and Technology (ECSAAFoST).
ECSAAFoST was born in 1991 in the Zimbabwean Capital of Harare, a brainchild of the former IUFoST President and Late Professor Lilian Marovatsanga. The body emerged from a weeklong seminar that was organised by the Zimbabwean Institute of Food Science and Technology at the University of Zimbabwe. The seminar was aimed at discussing the future of Food Science and Technology within Africa, especially countries within the East, Central and Southern part of the continent. An interim Executive Committee was elected at the seminar from the participating countries. Member countries to the committee were later increased to include representatives from other countries. However, for the greater part of the last ten years, ECSAAFoST has not well performed its regional role as a food science body for various reasons.
The issue of extending membership to other parts of the continent was discussed and there was a consensus that membership to ECSAAFoST should open to interested parties outside the region. The current ECSAAFoST constitution was circulated at the meeting so that it is reviewed before the ECSAAFoST Executive Committee discusses it in the near future.
Aubrey Parsons (South Africa) and Phillip Makhumula-Nkhoma (Malawi) were nominated to co-ordinate a one-year Plan of Action to get ECSAAFoST going again with active representations from member countries. After this twelve-month period, it is expected that new office bearers will be in place and the constitution will have been reviewed to take into account the present status quo. It is hoped that an ECSAAFoST conference will be held in 2002 as part of reviving the activities of this body.
The Durban meeting was chaired by Dr Anthony Mutukumira from Zimbabwe and was attended by Prof. Walter Spiess, IUFoST President. Among the delegates were Professor Ruth Oniang'o from Kenya, Professor J. Allotey and I. Mitsheka from Botswana. Representing South Africa were Aubrey Parsons (Secretary of the meeting), Professor A. Minaar, L. Smit and Mrs Van Heerden. Dr Esther Mpandi-Khosa, from Olivine, Zimbabwe, was the second delegate from Zimbabwe and the author represented Malawi. Attending the meeting from outside Africa were Dr Mary Schmidl, Past President of the USA Institute of Food Technology (IFT) and Dr Elisabeth Dumoulin of ENSIA, Massy, France.
There was unanimous support among the delegates for the revival of ECSAAFoST so that it can play its leading role in improving the state of Food Science and Technology in all the countries of the region. The president of IUFoST emphasised the need for an active ECSAAFoST so that it can facilitate implementation of IUFoST objectives in Africa. Dr Mary Schmidl made a personal contribution to the ECSAAFoST operating fund at the meeting and Professor Walter Spiess pledged financial support from IUFoST.
At present, all activities of ECSAAFoST are being co-ordinated from the Office of the South African Association of Food Science and Technology (SAAFoST) in South Africa. Inquiries on this initiative should be directed to the co-ordinating officers; Aubrey Parsons at theaw@jannderee.com and Phillip Makhumula-Nkhoma at pmakhumula@yahoo.com or pmakhumula@chirunga.sdnp.org.mw.
FOCUS ON KENYA
THE STATE OF FOOD INDUSTRY IN KENYA
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PROF. RUTH K. ONIANG’O, JOSEPH MUTUKU
Utilization of advances in science and technology are important prerequisites for economic development. Countries that discourage - be it though government policies, cultural traditions, or religious beliefs - acquisition and utilization of these advances will find economic development and associated improvements in the well being of their inhabitants difficult to achieve. Many developing countries do not willingly embrace advances in science and technology that are necessary for economic development.1
While agriculture is the mainstay of Kenya’s economy, the country is not self sufficient in food production and offers substantial scope for stepped growing and improved productivity. Intensified irrigation and enhanced value-added in food processing are both key target issues in Kenya’s food science and technology. Failure to address the agricultural sector in a well planned sequence, for example addressing the food chain in the case of edible produce, has meant that research output from institutions of higher learning have remained on the periphery as their programs and research outputs lack policy structures to link to. Many student research reports at both masters and Ph.D. level remain bound as theses.
The food processing industry is an important sector in Kenya’s industrial development and food security. It accounts for the largest sector in manufacturing.2 It is currently characterized by use of large and medium scale urban based modern food processing technologies. These technologies rely on recently introduced food crops, which are poorly adapted to the environment as raw materials. Hundreds of tones of grain cereals, grain legumes, starchy roots and tubers, seeds, fruits and vegetables are processed into different types of foodstuffs and beverages for immediate home consumption or for sale.2,3
Food Science and nutrition are two sides of one coin and the synergistic effects cannot therefore be overlooked. In Kenya, malnutrition continues to kill many children, act as a catalyst to various childhood diseases, exacerbate rates of illiteracy, and unemployment and impede overall socio-economic progress. There are many ways in which post-harvest activities such as storage, commercial processing, in-home processing, and preparation can affect nutrient availability including: increased consumption of nutrient rich foods, increasing the nutrient density of foods consumed by infants and decreasing nutrient loss from processing of widely available foods.
Before the advent of colonialism, many communities in Kenya practiced shifting subsistence agriculture and pastoralism. Traditional crops such as millets, sorghums, cassava, sweet potatoes, bananas and yam were widely grown.4
The Kenyan communities had developed techniques for processing and preservation of indigenous crops. Many communities processed cereals such as sorghum and millets into ugali*, uji,** or beer fermentation and drying techniques were widely used in the processing of vegetables. These traditional processing techniques utilized locally available raw materials. The processing skills also developed and evolved within the community, as did the processing tools. Livestock keeping was also an important activity, particularly among the pastoral communities who depended exclusively on livestock products for their survival.5
During colonialism, food processing was born out of need to process and preserve some of the agricultunment sought to achieve the development of food processing services mainly by protective and monopolistic means. In seeking to minimize the risks of competition and provide safeguards to the relatively expensive processing services, the government identified processing zones and fixed prices for both the producers and the processors. Processed food products were aimed at the British export market or the settler community. Hence, the processing techniques and equipment used were imported from Britain or Europe. The quality criteria for the processed foods had also to meet the requirements of the British and the European markets.6
Processing in livestock had started much earlier. Dairy processing was started in 1912 by private settler enterprises. By 1930s, several creameries had been set up to receive and process milk from most of the settler dairy farmers. Dairy products such as cheese and butter were exported. Processing of meat was also established, but it experienced a problem of limited market of the processed meat products due to market fear of quality.7,8
After independence, agriculture remained a critical component in the country’s development strategy. The thrust of government policy in agriculture and industry aimed at attaining self-sufficiency in food production and import substitution respectively. The status quo of the food-processing sector was therefore maintained since the import substitution strategy aimed at processing those foods that had been imported. Hence the production foods such as confectionery baby foods and soft drinks were encouraged. These were foods meant for the settlers and elite Africans, but not for the Kenyan masses. Industrialization in food processing hence continued along the same lines established by the colonial economy. It simply addressed the demands of the limited inherited formal market forces. Traditional crops and traditional technologies remained neglected. A dual economy was thus perpetuated with modern technologies and modern crops in formal agricultural sector while the traditional food processing technologies and traditional crops were shunted from the economic mainstream and confided to subsistence sector in the rural areas.9-11
* Swahili word for thick porridge ** Swahili word for thin porridge
TRADITIONAL VERSUS MODERN TECHNOLOGIES
Traditionally, Kenyan communities used various food processing
technologies, which varied from one community to the other. In some
parts of the country, for instance a mortar and pestle were used to
de-husk and decorticate maize. In others, fish smoking to extend shelf
life was a common practice. Other commonly practiced technologies
include winnowing of grains and legumes, stone grinding of cereals to
make flour, sun drying of vegetables, fruits and cereals, beer
fermentation etc. Today, there is very limited commercial processing of
indigenous crops, or commercial application of indigenous food
processing technologies. The production of indigenous crops is
therefore low and some of the indigenous foods processing technologies
are dying out. There has also been very little research effort directed
towards indigenous crops and processing technologies. With advances in
technology, these rudimentary techniques have been replaced by more
sophisticated methods of food processing:
Following the liberalization of the dairy industry, many milk-processing plants have come up. The main products are pasteurized and sterilized milk although milk powder is also processed but to a lesser degree. Yoghurt and cheese firms have also been established, these plants are both small and privately owned. These projects can be expanded and adopted by farmers in the rural areas, who due to the perishable nature of milk compounded by poverty, are left with no alternative but to sell the fresh commodity at a throw away price.
Maize is the leading cereal grain in terms of production in Kenya. Wheat is also grown but predominantly on a commercial scale. Indigenous cereals such as sorghums and millets have been neglected in favor of these "modern" cereals. In maize meal processing, many firms have come up to compete with Unga limited, a former monopoly in these field. This has consequently led to many sifted maize meal brands in the market.
The industry has grown tremendously. French beans, sweet corn, passion fruits, pineapples…are all processed for local and international markets. With liberalization of the market and associated competition, consumers now have a wide variety of products to choose from. The products include juices, jams and other preserves, canned fruits and so on.
Various forms of meat are processed both for the local market and for export. This is one area thought that is in dire need of local processing industry. With the collapse of the Kenya Meat Commission (KMC), beef production and processing is minimal in Kenya; meat vendors sell most meat. Their understanding of quality standards is surely questionable.
In the pork industry, there is a highly reputed local firm, which slaughters and processes pork products in the country. Kenyan pork products are highly popular beyond the borders of the country. This plant has promoted pig farming in the country.
The soft drink industry in this country has also registered some growth. The recent past has seen mushrooming of small-scale soft drinks in the market, which for many years has been dominated by one or two companies. Mineral water plants have also come up at similar pace. In the beer industry, there is also now competition.
The tradition of solid fats consumption in this country has led to an increase in the number of plants producing these products. Liquid oils on the other hand are becoming common. Most Kenyan consumers now use commercially processed fats and oils.
Packaging for aesthetic presentation for consumer appeal is a marketing strategy that goes hand in hand with food processing. In Kenya, art has advanced with advancement in technology. Tetrapack is the leading supplier of packaging materials to the dairy industries, while Carnaud Metal Box (CBM) is a manufacture and supplier of cans. The plastics companies have become famous with recyclable plastic containers for fats and oils, jams and marmalades, yoghurt, cheese etc.
CHALLENGES
The food industry lacks know-how and experience in food technology and
access to appropriate equipment. Most small enterprises do not know how
to install and operate processing equipment and have little notion of
quality and quality control. Often obsolete technologies are used
leading to poor product quality. Equipment is difficult to get and
maintain and imported equipment is often inappropriate in scale or
degree of automation. In Kenya as it is in most developing countries,
the capacities for research and adaptation is limited.
The major problem is that the markets are underdeveloped. There is a general lack of purchasing power among the majority of the population. In addition, processors face the problems in procurement and storage of raw materials as well as distribution and marketing of finished products. The current liberalization of trading and storage system which in most countries was monopolized by state owned marketing organizations, are presently aggravated by these problems especially for the small entrepreneur who have limited means to cope with fluctuation in price and irregular supplies. Obtaining reliable information on markets for both raw materials and finished products in terms of volumes, prices and locations is presently a problem for micro-and small entrepreneurs who have so far relied almost on informal channels.
Most parts of the country have poor transport network which results in inaccessibility of agricultural producing areas. As a result, most farm produce goes to waste. The problem is more serious during the rainy season when most roads are rendered impassable.
In general, Kenya lacks the infrastructure necessary to effectively transport, store, refine, preserve, distribute, and market foodstuffs. Consequently, post-harvest losses for various products range from 20% to more than 30% wasted food, which reflects as loss of critically needed nutrients and vital costly auxiliary inputs through out the food chain.12
The prohibitively high cost and unavailability of fuel energy are key bottlenecks against development of a viable and modern food-processing sector in this country. Although firewood is the most easily available form of energy, its continued use leads to depletion of forests and attendant environmental problems. The situation puts extra pressure on women who are already burdened as they spend extra hours and much personal energy looking for fuel-wood.13
Environmental conditions are another important factor influencing the development of food industries. Favorable environmental conditions include ample natural resources, favorable climate, topography and soil quality, and ample potable water. Water, a limited resource in Kenya is a key commodity in food production, processing and preparation. Many parts of the country experience torrential rain whose vast amounts of water are allowed to wash away, along with soil into the rivers and the ocean when it could be harvested for more effective use such as food processing activities. Water scarcity leads to unsanitary condition, thus putting foods at risk of contamination.
When assessing the relevance of new technology, it is crucial to ask whether this technology really brings significant gains or whether the problems can be solved more efficiently and cheaply by alternative or conventional approaches. In Kenya, post harvest losses run from about 20-30%, the question to ask is, should Kenya invest in GM technology to increase food production or should it be investing its scarce resources into improving post-harvest technologies to minimize losses? Should we not be investing in better storage, better transportation, and processing and increase shelf life of perishable foods? This means the food that has actually been produced in the field is not wasted but reaches the consumer and brings benefit to the farmer. Nonetheless, Kenya needs to operate in a global context and to ensure that it too benefits from technological advances that aggressive and well-funded agricultural research has brought our way. Our involvement in the biotechnology debate should therefore be balanced enough to realize the wider benefits of this technology to our growing population.
Foodborne disease outbreaks, food contamination and food poisoning incidences have occurred in many parts of the country in the recent past, causing food safety to become the focus of public health policy as well as drawing the attention of local and international media. Foodborne diseases are estimated to affect one in five persons in Kenya. Diarrhea diseases are believed to be the primary cause of death in young children and to contribute significantly to malnutrition and depressed immune response. Diarrhea diseases are caused primarily by food and waterborne pathogens, with up to 70% attributed to agents transmitted by food.14
THE WAY FORWARD
A good government is concerned about the health of its people because
only healthy people can build a nation, reflect the socioeconomic
status of a nation and reduce government delivery costs. It is possible
to have abundant food supply and yet to be food insecure especially if
post-harvest losses are not reduced. To ensure that products of local
industries compete effectively in world food trade, and to provide
quality goods for local consumers, governments should encourage and
help local industries to go into partnership with international
organization to help improve the quality4 and safety of their food
products.
The international organizations and the donors have an important role to play in the initiation and implementation of policy reforms in Kenya. Their direct involvement through technical assistance, training programs and policy dialogues, will go a long way in establishment of sustainable and regenerative food systems. Donors can provide technical assistance to promote agro-processing and consequently food security in many ways; for example, improvements of infrastructure especially transport storage and information collection and dissemination. Although infra-structural improvement remains the responsibility of the state governments, self-help schemes could be sparked by the provision of technical assistance at community levels. Project based support is still necessary in the area of infrastructure. Improvements in rural roads, new and more reliable sources of energy, development of small-scale irrigation schemes and expansion of agricultural extension services are critical for increased agricultural productivity and processing.
There are several areas of importance where IUFoST could provide assistance:
Information transfer: Provide financial assistance to food technologists in Kenya so they can attend appropriate conferences and short courses, and access to relevant publications.
Surveys: Identify successful and unsuccessful endogenous food enterprises in Kenya, determine through appropriate surveys what conditions led to success or failure, and disseminate this information.
Technical assistance: Provide technical assistance to the government of Kenya, with funding provided by foundations, the UN, and/or governments of developed countries.
Education: Help upgrade educational programs in Kenya by developing appropriate curricula and educational standards, providing consulting services, and awarding scholarships for tertiary education.
The development of food processing industry in Kenya is closely tied to the agricultural and industrial policies followed during the colonial period. Post independence policies have not altered the situation. Cutting post-harvest losses through agro-processing is of paramount importance if Kenya is to avoid food shortages. A holistic approach should be advocated. Tackling the food chain piecemeal only works to create confusion. For sustainable development of the industry, comprehensive policies are required which address utilization of local resources and the requirement of both local and export markets. Clearly Kenya is not the only country in the region experiencing these types of problems. IUFoST could facilitate the sharing of lessons learned that could help forward progress by supporting networking among stakeholders and among professionals through a variety of avenues for example through scientific journals, newsletters and even electronically.
REFERENCES
DISTANCE EDUCATION AND FOOD SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY
TRAINING IN SUB-SAHARA AFRICA
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PROF. ANTHONY MUTUKUMIRA, ZIMBABWE
The last century has seen a significant increase in the number of colleges and universities in Sub-Sahara Africa (SSA). The increase in the number of institutions offering higher education has been driven by the desire of the respective countries to develop national economies and improve the welfare of their people. Higher education training is a necessary pre-requisite for the development of any country. Although there is an impressive record of higher education training in SSA, the quest for more training institutions in higher education has outstripped the available places. This has contributed to the development of distance education.
In fact, distance education dates back to the period when the University of South Africa (UNISA) was the only institution of higher learning in SSA offering undergraduate and postgraduate studies by distance learning. The World Bank Institute, through the African Virtual University (AVU) in Distance Education has complemented UNISA's efforts in Sub-Sahara Africa. In addition, some colleges in Europe offer distance education to Sub-Sahara Africa. Recently, Zimbabwe established the Zimbabwe Open University and with over 30 000 students, it has become the largest institution of higher education in the country. The situation has somewhat changed today with the birth of information technology. Studies can now be offered through satellite and Internet facilities, thereby offering more opportunities to individuals. Distance Education has also gained popularity in other regions of the world such as The Americas, Europe and Asian Countries.
Distance Education has gained popularity, particularly in Sub-Sahara Africa as it provides opportunities to individuals to study whilst working. Like anywhere else in the world, the cost of education has become a prohibitive factor. In SSA, the cost of education is an important factor because of low incomes and the high cost of living. A greater proportion of disposable income is spent on food and other basic commodities. To those candidates wishing to take courses offered overseas, lack of foreign currency becomes an important issue. Part of the solution to problems faced by SSA is to bring DE courses to the region through local institutions. This would bring more courses on offer and thereby develop a wider range of expertise and skills for the development of the region. Furthermore, candidates are able to progress according to their capacity and capability. That means, there a lot of flexibility in the training programmes. This makes Distance Education suitable to training in Food Science and Technology. The range and type of courses in Food Science and Technology can easily be offered through Distance Education. Such programmes in Food Science and Technology have already proved feasible in the Australasian countries.
Food security issues have remained priority areas for regional governments in Sub-Sahara Africa. Today, food science and technology is viewed as an important instrument in tackling food security challenges. This is so because food safety and quality, food legislation, food processing and handling, food storage, and many other related topics are at the core of food security. Education has long been recognised as important in trying to tackle food security problems. Today, there are no food science and technology courses on offer through Distance Education. And yet, its well-known and recognised world-wide that food is fundamental to the development of any nation. The Food Security Unit of the Southern African Development Community (SADC), which recently started modular training in post-harvest training by Distance Education in Grain Management has also recognised the gap. SADC, through the World Bank Institute plans to offer some modular training in Rural Poverty Reduction Through Food Security and Agricultural Growth. However, it seems apparent that there are no distance courses or training in mainstream food science and technology offered by SADC.
The importance of education in food science and technology is given priority by the International Union of Food Science and Technology (IUFoST), an international body with many national and regional affiliates around the world. IUFoST, through the association of East, Central and Southern Africa Food Science and Technology (ECSAFoST) plans to initiate Distance Education in Food Science and Technology.
It is hoped that IUFoST initiatives in Distance Education in food science and technology will receive support from the region and the international community. IUFoST has already identified scientists of international standing to assist with the production of suitable modules and training. Scientists from universities in USA, Europe, Australia, Canada and Africa have shown their willingness to participate in the development of Distance Education in Food Science and Technology in Sub-Sahara Africa.
NEWS FROM JAPAN
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PROF. RYUICHI MATSUNO, CORRESPONDENT
The "Second IUFoST-JAPAN Symposium" will be held on November 14, 2001 at the auditorium of Faculty of Agriculture, The University of Tokyo. The particular subject is "Latest Trends of Functional Food Science, and its Industry".
Following the address by Professor Soichi Arai, the Chief Managing Director of IUFoST-JAPAN, lectures and discussions will be developed on the international trends of functional foods, and the functional foods for anti-oxidation, anti-tumor, and conditioning intestine.
A new academic society, The Japan Society of Food Engineering, was established in August, 2001. The regular members, student members, and supporting industrial companies are 305, 73, and 71 respectively at present.
This society, placing "engineering" in front, will drive studies in the full range of engineering aspects in food manufacturing, processing, and production towards 21st century, and encouraging engineers in food industries. The new society is complementary with the existing society, The Japanese Society for Food Science and Technology, and many members are overlapping in both societies.
NEWS FROM POLAND
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CENTRE OF EXCELLENCE FOR KNOWLEDGE TRANSFER
AND EDUCATION IN FOOD AND HEALTH
FOR CENTRAL AND EASTERN EUROPE
PROF.DR HAB. FRANCISZEK KLUZA, CORRESPONDENT
Since the beginning of the year 2001, the Ph.D. students and post-doctoral researchers from European Union countries and EU candidates have obtained new opportunities for further comprehensive studies and training in the field of food and nutrition science. The Institute of Animal Reproduction and Food Research of the Polish Academy of Science has been awarded the Centre of Excellence status as the only scientific centre in Poland working in the field of food sciences. The application, entitled Centre of Excellence for Knowledge Transfer and Education in Food and Health submitted to the European Commission's competition within the 1st Horizontal Programme INCO, has been highly evaluated by independent EU experts and obtained the status of Centre of Excellence in the area of food studies, especially of its wholesome properties.
The aim of the programme is to facilitate the development of research and training networks in the region, to narrow the gap between leading centres in the European Union and in countries seeking accession and to ensure that the Commission's stated policies in respect of employment, innovation and social issues could be effectively implemented in Europe. The Institute has been included into a network of 34 scientific centres selected from 12 countries. Thereby, as announced by Science, it has joined the elite of scientific centres dealing with food, gaining both privileges (prestige and financial contribution among others) and responsibilities.
The main objectives of the project launched on the 1st of March 2001 include:
(1) training and investigations with participation of young scientists from countries of EU as well as Central and Eastern Europe. Over 20 young researchers will be working in the following research areas:
immunogenic and allergenic properties of natural and modified components (e.g. non-enzymatic glycation of pea proteins as source of the immunogenic and allergenic product; studies on immunomodulative effect of selected food - probiotics),
identification of potentially beneficial compounds from the viewpoint of human nutrition in raw materials of plant origin and studies on their transformation in food processing and its sensory consequences,
impact of food processing on the bioavailability of phytochemicals and total antioxidative status of the consumer blood plasma,
bioavailability of selected food components and their influence on life processes (e.g. modulation of secretive and absorption functions of the alimentary tract and metabolism of diet components by the addition of non-absorbed saccharides),
interactions of pre- and probiotics in the intestinal ecosystem and production of their synergistic sets possible to apply in functional foods of special assignment,
sensory analyses of food extended by studies on interactions of taste-flavour substances and molecular bases of biosensory systems functioning with the possibility of applying them for food analyses,
determination of relations between molecular structure of food components and their functional properties and microstructure of food,
microstructure, physical and biological properties, and technological usability of new transgenic raw materials,
studies aiming at constructing ion-selective electrodes and sensors designed for food analysis (e.g. a new type of ion-selective sensors based on modified gold electrodes);
(2) organization of 5 international meetings including 2 conferences and 3 workshops in the following areas:
Food Safety (Eurofoodtox V conference, August 2002),
Basic investigations as a tool for evaluation of molecular metabolism of food components (conference, August 2003),
Food supplementation in food allergy and immunity (workshop, August 2002),
Methodology of the novel food evaluation (workshop, December 2002),
Ethical and methodological aspects of estimating the biological activity of flavonoids (workshop, June 2003).
The above mentioned international conferences and workshops will be organised under auspices of Food Chemistry Division, Federation of European Chemical Society (FECS). It is planned to invite over 40 leading scientists from Poland and abroad dealing with food and nutrition as well as several hundred participants.
(3) popularisation of studies in leading scientific journals and promotion of Polish food science, including promotion of ecologically clean region of Warmia and Mazury. In this respect the following will be offered:
co-operation with producers of raw materials and products (of animal and plant origin) in order to increase their interest in cultivation of vegetables and fruit of high quality and rich in biologically active compounds, which are indispensable for maintaining a good health status irrespective of age;
evaluation, promotion and recommendation of valuable and safe food and encouraging producers to its production as well as informing about world-wide news and trends;
referential analyses and opinions conducted for domestic and international food producers.
All these enterprises have been realized in new buildings well-equipped with modern and technologically-advanced facilities. The activity of the Centre is supervised by the international Scientific Board consisting, apart from Heads of Departments, of the following experts in food science: Dr. Roger Fenwick - United Kingdom; Dr. Reto Battaglia - Switzerland; Prof. Alastair Robertson - United Kingdom; Dr. Frank Kelly - United Kingdom; Prof. Concepcion Vidal - Spain; Prof. Jose Empis - Portugal; Prof. Herman Giese - Belgium; Prof. Antoni Rutkowski - Poland; Prof. Zdzislaw Sikorski - Poland.
During the inaugural meeting of the Scientific Board held on the 27-28 April 2001, Dr. Roger Fenwick from the Institute of Food Research (Norwich), who is the Chairman of Food Chemistry Division (FECS), was appointed the Chairman of the International Scientific Board. Further information: website www.pan.olsztyn.pl, Scientific Co-ordinator: Prof. H. Kozlowska, email: office@pan.olsztyn.pl.
FOOD RENAISSANCE FOR AFRICA
SAAFoST CONGRESS 2001
______________________________
AUBREY PARSONS, CORRESPONDENT
"Food Renaissance for Africa" was the theme for the 16th Biennial SAAFoST Congress, held in Durban. There really is something quite unique about Durban's seafront as a venue and this September was certainly no exception. At this beautiful location, we enjoyed hosting 350 delegates who included numerous African, European and Australian scientists and we were especially honoured to welcome Dr. Mary Schmidl, USA, Dr. Elisabeth Dumoulin, France, and Professor Walter Spiess, Germany.
We classified this event as the academic coup of SAAFoST's 41-year history and how proud we are to have achieved this exceptional breakthrough. We gratefully thank IFT for sponsoring Mary Schmidl and IUFoST for their huge contribution in bringing Walter Spiess and Elisabeth Dumoulin to our shores.
Many delegates expressed their satisfaction with the high quality of the 83 oral presentations and 67 posters, which is most encouraging and certainly augurs well for the future. The paper by Walter Spiess on "Future Developments in the area of Food Science and Technology" emphasised the importance of close interaction between the sciences, nutrition, biotechnology, engineering and materials science, artificial intelligence (this was most interesting) and food safety. The message was "keep updated".
Mary Schmidl concentrated the importance of "A vision of the food Industry in the 21st Century". We all have pleasant healthy meals ahead of us and it is obvious that our global food industry is on track for a much brighter and enticing future. Elisabeth Dumoulin is the expert in Food Science Education and what a pleasure and exciting experience to be a student in her classes.
These three special scientists came and went, but their imprint remains. Numerous students from various academic institutes continue to contact me and want to know when they will be back but it must be for a much longer spell! To touch on some of the other subjects presented in no particular order: food contamination, HACCP, food safety, GMOs, pest control, global hunger, emulsion chemistry, functional foods, HIV & AIDS. This last subject concerns one of the biggest challenges facing the African Continent. At the time of this writing our local Medicinal Research Council has just released a report which states that AIDS is now the major killer of South Africans.
To continue with some of the other excellent subjects: antioxidants, vitamins, novel ingredients, red bush tea, phyto-chemicals, honeybush tea, free radical scavenging of red and white wines (I was part of the team that did the sensory evaluation!), new GC methods, mycotoxins, fungal poisins, food fortification, MAP packaging, glycemic index - new developments, bottled water, food laws, organic food and farming (this could not be excluded) and finally certain aspects of general agriculture.
Another highlight in conjunction with our Congress was that we planned and organised the re-birth of the very necessary ECSAAFoST body. (Eastern, Central and Southern Africa Association of Food Science and Technology). Through IUFoST's sponsorship we were able to bring delegates from various African countries to attend this most important meeting which yielded much success and. I want to personally thank all the attending delegates for their respective contributions. It is only with a committed team effort that we will permanently reinstate this association to it's rightful position and place in Africa. The food industry in Africa desperately needs ECSAAFoST as a foundation and certainly ACSSAFoST and its members in the African food industry will reciprocate its support tenfold.
To conclude, a final and sincere thanks to IFT, IUFoST, and others for all their support in making our conference such a success. Special appreciation is expressed to IUFoST Secretary-General, Judith Meech, for assisting in the meeting arrangements.
Our next major conference will take place in September 2003 and we have decided on a venue that will rattle every food scientist's cage. Any takers yet?
EFFoST NEWS
______________________________
HUUB LELIEVELD, EFFoST PRESIDENT
At the General Assembly meeting, 5 December, during EUROCAFT in Berlin, the executive committee will present their new strategy and will propose the changes in the organisation considered to be needed to meet the expectations.
EFFoST's goal will remain to promote co-operation and exchange of knowledge in the area of food science and technology with the focus on Europe. To achieve this goal, EFFoST will help individuals and organisations to progress initiatives in the area of food science and technology, e.g. by disseminating information, assisting in finding partners and review project proposals. EFFoST publishes journals, organises conferences and workshops, initiates Special Interest Groups to address specific topical issues and generally acts as an expert forum for food science and technology issues.
PUBLICATIONS
EFFoST publishes in co-operation with Elsevier Science two high quality
journals, viz. Innovative Food Science and Emerging Technologies
(IFSET) and Trends in Food Science and Technology (TIFS). TIFS is very
well known among all food professionals and is the home for high
quality review articles. IFSET may be less known as it is relatively
new: the first issues of this quarterly scientific journal appeared in
March 2000. As will be clear from the title, IFSET publishes high
quality original research on developments in food science and emerging
technologies, covering subjects such as shelf life and food safety,
engineering, scale-up, nutrition, economics and environmental aspects
of food processing technologies. For details the reader is referred to
the website: www.elsevier.com/locate/ifset.
Food Technology International is another official EFFoST publication. This annual publication is aimed at company executives and produced by Sterling Publications. It provides a survey of recent developments in the area of food processing and control. Copies can be ordered via info@SterlingPublications.com and more information can be found on the website www.sterlingpublications.com.
Until last year, EFFoST published their orange Events calendar. From the reactions received, the calendar has been an important source of information for many and we regret that for operational reasons, the production of the calendar in its printed form had to be interrupted. It is EFFoST's intention to combine the calendar with the Conference Calendar in TIFS. EFFoST shall continue to publish the Calendar on the Website. In addition, the Calendar may be used to provide more news about food science and technology and therefore it is intended to rename the calendar to "EFFoST Newsletter".
EFFoST and Elsevier Science have agreed to offer subscription to both TIFS and IFSET at greatly reduced rates to the EFFoST community. The scheme under development will start January 2002.
FUTURE EVENTS
On the 21-23 October, the 6th Karlsruhe Nutrition Symposium took place
with as topic Effects of Processing on the Nutritional Quality of Food,
addressing in particular the influence of processing on bioavailability
of nutrients. This EFFoST supported symposium was organised by BFE, the
German Federal Research Centre for Nutrition, in honour of Prof. Walter
Spiess, who is the Past President of EFFoST, the President of IUFoST
and former director of the Centre.
In co-operation with the European Commission, EFFoST organises EUROCAFT 2001, the European Conference on Advanced Technology for Safe and High Quality Foods. The conference will be held in Berlin, Germany, from 5-7 December 2001. Among other presentations, the conference will discuss many of the results of the vast number of EU funded food science and technology research projects. Special attention will be given to consumer aspects, reason why BEUC's Food Officer is a member of the Scientific Committee. As part of the conference, a Brokerage Event will be held (7 December), aimed at co-operation with small and medium sized enterprises, in particular in Eastern European countries. The opportunities to receive support from the European Commission will be discussed in an introductory address by EU representatives. More details on EUROCAFT can be found elsewhere in this issue and on the website www.eurocaft2001.com.
In conjunction with EUROCAFT, hosted by the University of Technology Berlin, the second joint EFFoST / IFT Workshop on nonthermal processing technologies will be held, on 9-11 December 2001. This workshop will pay special attention to engineering principles and combination processes. There will be introductions on research and production equipment. Participation is limited and the emphasis is on work, so if you are interested in participation, please inform Prof. D. Knorr (dietrich.knorr@tu-berlin.de) and provide details.
SPECIAL INTEREST GROUPS AND FOCUS
One of the hurdles in making progress towards healthier and safer food
is the lack of understanding of consumers, legislators and even fellow
scientists. There are many reasons for this problem and EFFoST has
initiated a Special Interest Group "Public, Scientific and Regulatory
Acceptance of New Food Technology". Also, EFFoST believes that the
public in general - and all of them are consumers - should be provided
with unbiased correct and clear explanations of what is going on in
food manufacture and what is being developed. For that reason EFFoST
works together with consumer organisations and has submitted a
proposal, acronym FoCUS, standing for Food and Consumer Understanding
of Science an technology, to the European Commission.
The executive committee is considering the initiation of several other Special Interest groups, including "Training and Education in Food Science and Technology" and "Food Technology and Functional Foods".
CO-OPERATION
Promotion of food science and technology requires co-operation.
Therefore, the executive committee works and is willing to start
working with any other organisation with a similar goal. Currently,
EFFoST has good working relationships with e.g. the Food Chemistry
Division of FECS, the European Federation of Chemical Societies, with
IFT (Institute of Food Technologies) and EHEDG (European Hygienic
Equipment Design Group) and several regional and national societies,
such as the SCI (the British Society of Chemical Industry), which
hosted the EFFoST secretariat for many years, and the NVVL (the
Netherlands Society of Food Technology). It is the intention to
intensify co-operation with all European FST societies.
IUFoST AND IUFoST ADHERING BODIES
EFFoST is the European Regional Grouping of IUFoST. Members of IUFoST
are national Adhering Bodies, which in turn are unions of several
national organisations. In smaller countries, usually the Adhering Body
at the same time is the only national society on food science and
technology. To cope with the many changes proposed, as well as for
several other reasons, EFFoST must be flexible and pragmatic: we need
to adapt to the changing environment. Therefore, in the course of this
year, we have discussed with IUFoST the desirability to change. This
has resulted in a proposal to institute an ad hoc committee,
representing interested parties, to review mutual relations and propose
desired changes. Prof. Spiess, the President of IUFoST and at the same
time Past President of EFFoST has already agreed to sit on the ad hoc committee.
II NATIONAL CONGRESS OF FOOD SCIENCE & TECHNOLOGY
COSTA RICA
______________________________
FLORIBETH VÍQUEZ, GENERAL DIRECTOR, CITA
On August 8-10, 2001, CITA (National Center for Food science and Technology) and ASCOTA (Costa Rican Association of Food Technologists) hosted the Second National Congress of Food Science and Technology "Food Safety for the Regional Food Industry". The congress was attended by 270 participants, 185 from Costa Rica and 85 from 18 different countries of the region and it was sponsored by the Latin American and Caribbean Association of Food Science and Technology (ALACCTA) and IUFoST. The event was an exciting academic and industrial activity focused on food safety issues, carried out through plenary sessions in the mornings and four simultaneous short courses in the afternoon.
The morning conferences were successfully presented by nine international speakers, all experts in their fields of work. Dr. Daniel Fung, from Kansas State University, opened the sessions with an interesting lecture on New Perspectives of Rapid Microbiological Analysis Methods, showing new tendencies and equipment used to work and monitor food microbiology during a food processing operation. Speakers from seven international universities and research institutes covered the latest on important topics such as the USDA experiences in HACCP implementation in the USA; the new ISO-9000-2000 norms and how it is incorporating the HACCP system; examples of HACCP implementation in countries of Eastern Europe and approaches and methods to complete validation and verification of this system; new issues on Listeria monocytogenes and E coli 0157:H7 and a very complete presentation on chemical risk evaluation and toxicology related to food processing systems.
During the afternoons, participants were able to work on four simultaneous short courses, with morning speakers and CITA's researchers as teachers. These short-courses focused on Microbiological Rapid Methods, Chemical Risk Evaluation, Standard Sanitary Procedures and ISO 9000-2000. During the courses, participants had the opportunity to work with case studies and new concepts on current technical issues related to risk evaluation and factors that affect the quality and safety of foods. The regional food industry had the chance to share discussions on risk assessment, HACCP implementation, GMP record keeping and the new and emerging safety issues concerns related to chemical and microbiological on a "field to the table" scheme.
The Congress was an excellent opportunity for food scientists and technologists to share with expert speakers and other colleagues their concerns about the new safety issues and how to overcome them in order to compete in a global market that is putting a lot of pressure on the small and medium food industry of the region. These strong new requirements demanded by control agencies throughout the world and by dealers and consumers of food products have to be accomplished in order to guarantee the safety of final products. It is clear that only strong, updated and responsible companies will be able to commercialize their products with the quality and safety required by consumers.
NEWS FROM THAILAND
______________________________
APEC-JIRCA JOINT SYMPOSIUM ON AGRICULTURAL BIOTECHNOLOGY
PROF. RUUD VALYASEVI, CORRESPONDENT
Thailand recently hosted the joint symposium and workshop on Agricultural Biotechnology. The event was organized by the Agricultural Technical Cooperation Working Group, Sub Group on Research, Development and Extension of Agricultural Biotechnology Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC) and The Japan International Research Center for Agricultural Sciences (JIRCA) from 3-12 September 2001 in Bangkok.
The theme of the meeting was on the future of biotechnology on world agriculture. The objective of the symposium was to foster technical co-operation and improved harmonisation in risk assessment, management and communications as well as to promote transparency and information exchange amongst the APEC member economies.
Over 100 participants from 22 different APEC and JIRCA member countries attended the symposium. There were 2 post-symposium workshops on safety assessment of genetically modified foods and environmental safety assessment of genetically modified plants. The objective of the workshop was to improve the understanding of the science-based assessments required for food and agricultural crops derived from modern biotechnology and to promote information exchange by enhancing communications and public understanding on agricultural biotechnology in APEC economies.
FOODCOMP 2002
FoodComp 2002, an international graduate course on production and use
of food composition data in nutrition, is organized by Institute of
Nutrition at Mahidol University in cooperation with Food and
Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (Food Policy and
Nutrition Division), United Nations University (Food and Nutrition
Programme for Human and Social Development), International Union of
Nutritional Sciences, United States Department of Agriculture (Food
Composition Laboratory/Nutrient Data Laboratory) and International Life
Sciences Institute.
The course will be held at Institute of Nutrition, Mahidol University (Salaya), Thailand from 6 to 24 May, 2002.
Food composition database (FCD) provides essential information on the nutritive values of foods. Its wide applications include calculation of nutritive values of foods and diets, formulation of nutritionally adequate diets, quantitative assessment of diets for individuals or groups of population. For food manufacturers, it can be used in screening of raw materials, recipe formulation and product research and development. In addition, food composition database can serve as a guideline for food analysts in estimating nutrient levels of foods prior to actual analysis, which is especially useful in nutrition labelling preparation. The aims of FoodComp 2002 is to show how those involved in the production of analytical data for nutrients in foods, and the compilation of data contribute to the quality and usefulness of FCD in nutrition. The course will be based on the philosophy that the preparation of nutritional databases requires close understanding of the needs of the users by both compilers and producers of analytical data. The course will show how this understanding can be achieved and the benefits that flow from collaboration of users, analysts and compilers. For further information please contact Dr. Prapasri Puwastien Tel. No. +66-2-8002380 and +66-2- 4410217 or Fax No. +66-2-441 9346, +66-2- 441 9344 or E-mail: nuppw@mahidol.ac.th
STRENGTHENING OF FOOD AND NUTRITION
TRAINING IN SOUTHERN AFRICA
______________________________
PROF. ANTONY MUTUKUMIRA
From July 23 to August 3, 2001, the Institute of Food, Nutrition and Family Sciences (IFNFS) at University of Zimbabwe, in co-operation with the International Agricultural Centre (IAC), the Netherlands, organised a two week workshop on Quality Assurance Systems for Small and Medium Scale Food Processing Industries. The Strengthening of Food and Nutrition Training in Southern Africa workshop .was also supported by IUFoST, which sponsored the attendance of several participants.
Eighteen participants were selected. Participants included quality controllers from food processing industries, Standard Associations, Universities and Quality Control Laboratories. Twelve delegates from countries in the region (Ethiopia, Kenya, Nigeria, Tanzania, Uganda and Swaziland), and six delegates from Zimbabwe participated.
After the opening of the workshop, two days were spent on theoretical aspects of Quality Assurance systems in food processing industries. Participants then worked on a case study designed to understand and implement Hazard Analysis Critical Control Points (HACCP). During the second week, participants did practical work at five food processing industries in Harare, applying HACCP as a tool for quality assurance in these industries. They prepared reports and presented their findings to representatives from the industries, fellow participants and facilitators.
The participants considered the course very successful. Lectures were considered relevant, important and encouraging. Most of the presentations were good and the workshop materials were considered relevant. The exercises and especially the practical work were rated very relevant and extremely good. Most participants would have liked to spend more time in the workshop. Evaluations revealed that a similar workshop on auditing HACCP would be desirable.
ADHERING BODY PROFILE
______________________________
KACST: A PREMIER SCIENTIFIC INSTITUTION IN THE KINGDOM OF SAUDI ARABIA
DR IBRAHIM AL RUQAIE, FOOD RESEARCH SCIENTIST, KACST
Development of a country is assessed by many different parameters. One of these is science and technology, a tool for success in socio-economic sector of the country. Keeping in view local problems in the development and progress of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, a national scientific organization in the name of King Abdulaziz City for Science and Technology (KACST) was established in 1977 as an independent establishment with the approval of the government of Kingdom of Saudi Arabia under the name of Saudi Arabian National Center for Science and Technology (SANCST) and later in 1985 was renamed as 'King Abdulaziz City for Science & Technology (KACST)'. It was established to play a leading role in the field of science, which is vital, and a lending source of science and technology for National Societal Mission that combines technology with human resources.
Since its inception, KACST had been carrying out its mission in the promotion of science & technology in the Kingdom by coordinating and cooperating with various academic institutions, private agencies and government research organizations and encouraging local (Saudi) experts to undertake research that will help promote the development and evolution of the society. Besides this, KACST, through cooperation with international scientific organizations encourages closer ties with friendly countries. The cooperative research programs have successfully completed several solar energy research projects namely, establishment of a Saudi Center for Remote Sensing, establishment of national observatory, aquaculture research facilities and other projects.
KACST has established several national research institutes. These institutes are: Energy Research Institute (ERI), Natural Resources and Environment Research Institute (NRERI), Atomic Energy Research Institute (AERI), Petroleum and Petrochemical Industries Research Institute (PPIRI), Astronomy and Geophysics Research Institute (AGRI), Space Research Institute (SRI) and Electronics and Computers Research Institute (ECRI). These institutes focus those issues and problems being faced by public and private sectors. The main purpose of this approach is to provide link between research and academia on one hand and the industry and development on the other. The functions of KACST are:
DIRECTORATE OF RESEARCH GRANTS PROGRAMS
The scientific funding provided to the scientists of the universities
and research institutions all over the Kingdom is available from this
directorate. The funds are made available after thorough screening and
evaluation of the research proposals submitted. An overview of the
research projects funded by KACST is summarized below.
| Research projects funded by KACST in different fields (1977-2001) | ||
| Field | Number of Research projects funded | Total funds in USD |
|
Agricultural |
105 |
27,761,237 |
|
Humanities |
2 |
74,320 |
|
Medicine |
122 |
33,120,752 |
|
Science |
67 |
12,798,481 |
|
Engineering |
195 |
35,130,085 |
DIRECTORATE OF INFORMATION TECHNOLOGY
Information generated globally is disseminated both at national and
international level by providing copies/reprints of the scientific
publications and technical reports of the accomplished projects for
interaction with the rest of the world in the field of science and
technology and any other field of study. Any researcher interested in
obtaining copies of publication from any library or information centers
in the world may countact this directorate.
DIRECTORATE OF INTERNATIONAL COOPERATION
This department acts as a liaison between the international scientific
organizations, councils, unions, etc., and the similar national bodies
in order to coordinate their activities in the field of science and
technology. This department is constantly following up with these
organizations to acquire the latest developments in scientific research
and development and, in turn, to disseminate the same to our national
bodies enabling them to try and reap the maximum benefit for the
progress and well-being of the Kingdom. To this end, and to make use of
any break-through in the development of science and technology, this
department is maintaining its membership with these scientific
organizations and regularly paying their annual subscription.
The International Cooperation Department is vigorously pursuing the program of cooperation with various advanced, GCC, Arab and Muslim countries. KACST has permanent representation on International Joint Committees with all these countries in order to follow up implementation of the decisions of mutual interest. As such, Memorandums of Understanding have been signed with some of the identical organizations for the execution of decisions. Such cooperation is going smoothly. Moreover, the department cooperates with the several international scientific organizations.
For more information please visit the KACST web site: www.kacst.edu.sa
|
WORLD FOOD PRIZE Dr. Per Pinstrup-Andersen, Director General of the International Food Policy Research Institute, has received the 2001 World Food Prize for his contribution to agricultural research, food policy and improving the status of the poor and starving citizens of the world. Research that Dr. Pinstrup-Anderson initiated laid the foundation for the establishment of "Food For Education" programs in which the families receive food subsidies when children stay in school. IFPRI's 2020 Vision initiative, led by Dr. Pinstrup-Anderson, has alerted world leaders to potential crises in food security issues, helped reverse the trend of decreasing global developmental assistance, and led to actions which have brought about an important reduction in world hunger and poverty levels. |
CALL FOR BIDS
The Call for Bids for the XIVth IUFoST World Congress of Food Science and Technology, (2008) will be sent to IUFoST Adhering Bodies and Delegates in December 2001. The deadline for submission of bids is 31 July 2002.
Posted: 04 December 2001
© International Union of Food Science & Technology (IUFoST), 2001 / Comments to IUFoST Webmaster
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