The Department of Food Science and Technology at the Ionian University delivers high quality studies in the field of food science. Students acquire theoretical and practical training in the areas of food production, processing, quality and safety, microbiology, toxicology, chemistry, analysis, technology and biotechnology. Evidently students obtain all the essential qualifications and transferrable skills to ensure a successful career in the field of food science & technology. Τhe Department possesses research infrastructure to address and promote research excellence for undergraduate & postgraduate students, and visiting researchers.
Short Description
3D Illustration: Spyridon Verykios, Assistant Professor
Studies
The duration of undergraduate program is four academic years (eight semesters). The curriculum includes 37 mandatory courses of general and specific infrastructure, 10 elective courses, the research thesis, and a 2-month internship. The degree is equal to 240 Credits (ECTS) following the successful examination in 41 courses, thesis elaboration and the internship. No specific directions exist in the syllabus, thus students are eligible to create their individual curriculum by choosing from the elective courses that best fit their personal scientific, professional or research pursuits and accomplishments.
Direction-Production Management: Iakovos Panagopoulos
Script-Line Producer: Alkisti Georgiou
Photography Direction: Thanos Tsigkas
Soundtrack: Hladun oleksandr (dunaewsky69)
Sound Design-Mastering: Thanos Mpikakis
Assistant Director: Giorgos Klitsas
Montage-Color: Rania Mastrosavva
Motion Graphics: Andreas Apostolou
Assistant Director of Photography: Evangelia Koumantsioti
Assistant Producer: Vassilis Sarikas
Voice Over: Thanos Manos
Future Plans
The Department envisages to develop the possibilities to participate, co-organize and/or offer study programs for foreigners of all study levels. Under the auspices of the Erasmus program, the Department participated a few years ago in the co-organization of a Postgraduate Program entitled "International Master in Viticulture and Environment" in collaboration with the Universita Degli Studi Della Basilicata (Italy) and the Universite De Reims (Champagne, France), thereby providing relevant experience for further organization of such activities.
Summer Schools
The Department occasionally organizes summer schools, relevant to its field of studies. Although summer schools are not implemented for the current academic year, the Department aims to resume summer courses, following previous experience. Specifically, successful completion of four summer schools cycles on Organic Viticulture - Oenology, four cycles on Organic Farming, and two additional cycles on Agri-food sector, took place in previous years. The activities were offered to Greek graduates with relative specialization fields, undergraduate students and master/doctorate students. Short cycles of training programs (50 hours each) were also carried out by the Department through the Triptolemos Program (General Secretariat for Youth) in 2018, including the subjects of Biological Viticulture & Oenology and Organic Olive Growing, addressed mainly to professionals .
Likewise, all research projects co-ordinated by members of the Academic staff include the organization of meetings and/or conferences to communicate scientific results and interact with consumers and stake-holders. Additionally, members of the Academic staff are currently involved in the program New Agriculture-New Generation (“NeAGen Program”), led by the Rutgers University, in co-operation with the Agricultural University of Athens and the American Farm School, funded by Stavros Niarchos Foundation.
International Collaborations
The extroversion of the Department is documented by exchanges of faculty member through the Erasmus Program. More specifically (and before the Covid-19 crisis) the latest incoming members included Vitale Nuzzo from the University of Basilicata (2017) and Paola Migliorini from the University of Gastronomic Sciences at Pollenzo Italy (2015), while the outgoing faculty members included Olga Arvaniti (University of Vigo, Spain, 2018) and Eirini Katsalirou (University of Basilicata,Italy, 2018).
Likewise, since 2010 the Department consistently hosts, on average, three Erasmus students per year from the University of Lille (France) through the Erasmus Mobility Program. Worth noting is the attendance and preference of ESCOM (Ecole Supérieure de Chimie Organique et Minérale) students to perform their internship in the Department constantly from 2014 until today, but also the occasional cooperation with other Universities, via hosting internship students (e.g. University of Georgia, USA), or hosting Erasmus postgraduate students for their thesis (University of Montpellier, France).
European co-operations are also supported by the participation of Academic staff members in COST Actions, the submission of joint publications and research proposals, mostly with partners from Mediterranean countries (e.g. Cyprus, Italy, Spain, Portugal, Morocco and Tunisia) through European calls (e.g. Interreg, Life, Prima etc).
The Research status of the Department is significantly enhanced during the last years, exhibiting an average of more than 3 papers & 100 citations /year/academic staff member.
