FOODI: MSc course in Food innovation and Processing (KA2 Strategic Partnership for Adult Education- Exchanges of Practices)

The project “FOODI: MSc course in Food Processing and Innovation” focuses on the key needs and problems identified in the sector of food and agriculture in the Asian region. More specifically, it gives the chance to top European HEIs to support their Asian peers in Malaysia, Cambodia and Thailand built their capacity, by developing specialized curricula on Food Processing Innovation. The idea behind this approach is to ease the transfer of knowledge on the cross-field between food, health and innovation from EU frontrunner countries to Asian countries.

Objectives

Promotion of cooperation, exchange of know-how and good practices in the subject area between EU and PC HEIs.
Viable synergies and links with the regional food industry in order to address their needs in specialized personnel, and enhance them employability of FOODI graduates.
Contribution to local economic growth, by providing to program participants the right knowledge/skills/tools to turn the local food processing sector into a driver of social and economic growth.
Establishment of FOODI Centers in PC HEIs that will act as focus for research innovation in the area.
Development of tailor-made Food Processing Innovation VET courses to cover the immediate personnel training needs of the local and regional businesses in the short-term.

Activities

Identification of similar curricula and needs assessment by identifying similar curricula in Asia and in Europe used as best practices that can be taken into account when developing the FOODI MSc programme.
Capacity-building and Curricula development where 3 each Asian HEIs will develop 1 new professional courses tailor made to the training needs of the local food industry and special characteristics of their region (a total of 10 professional training courses).
Academic staff training and preparation for curricula delivery including staff training, the creation of FOODI centers as well as the design of an internship programme in the partner countries.
Accreditation and delivery of the courses where each university running the program will be responsible for taking the steps to accredit the Master course.

Dissemination channels

Text-based information: flyers, posters, policy briefs, policy recommendations.
Web-based channels: FOODI website (including electronic news items), FOODI VLE, web 2.0 tools, web ads, Erasmus+ dissemination platform.
Face to face events: 16 info days and 1 Final Conference will be organized.
Specialized channels: Digital repositories for education material, virtual and/or collaborative and/or special education fares and conferences, academic journals.
Networking and synergies with HEIs, entrepreneurs, health professionals, government officials, and food industry professionals as well as associations/networks of HEIs, research institutes at regional/national/EU/Asian levels will be undertaken.