Image created by Emma Feeney, UCD School of Agriculture, Food Science & Veterinary Medicine
A major new postgraduate programme responding to the need for continued research and innovation in the food industry was recently launched by Minister for Agriculture, Mary Coughlan, TD.
Providing skills training specifically tailored to the postgraduate with a food or nutrition based qualification, the Food Graduate Development Programme is a joint initiative of University College Dublin, University College Cork and Teagasc.
The project is being co-ordinated by Professor Michael Gibney, Professor of Food and Health at UCD and Dr Alan Kelly, Dean of Graduate Studies at UCC.
A new initiative in postgraduate education in the agri-food sector, funding of €1.1 million over five years was provided under the National Development Plan, through the Food Institutional Research Measure (FIRM), administered by the Department of Agriculture and Food.
UCD recently hosted the second module of the programme1 UCC having hosted the first module2 in February. It was attended by 30 PhD students from UCD, UCC, WIT, DIT, UL and Teagasc with backgrounds in food science, nutrition, food engineering, food law, veterinary medicine and food safety. “The fact that both were booked out as soon as they were advertised indicates the demand from PhD students to have training in the broader areas beyond the narrow confines of their PhD studies”, said Professor Gibney.
The Food Graduate Development Programme will provide skills training to postgraduate students and research staff in Irish universities and research institutes who are conducting FIRM research projects through a modularised series of graduate training programmes.
In line with the Government’s commitment to creating a world class 4th level Ireland, programme participants will obtain generic and discipline specific skills to enhance their postgraduate research and help them in their chosen careers.
“This programme will mean that Irish PhD graduates in the food and health sector will have a competitive edge when seeking jobs in industry. Moreover, for the food and health 4th level sector in Ireland, the existence of this programme will greatly facilitate the recruitment of top students”, added Professor Gibney.
1 Food Regulatory Affairs
2 Global Food Business
