Master of Research

MRes, Global Innovation and Sustainability in the Food Industry and Nutrition

Department of Food Science and Nutrition - University of the Aegean

This masters is an exciting and challenging course, combining the food sciences and nutrition with an international awareness of global market. You will acquire the knowledge associated with current trends in the production of food and drinks, technological developments, R&D, nutrition and sustainability complemented by the interaction with academics and professionals from all over the world, especially from developing markets. The course also develops essential management skills of supply chain planning and quality management in agriculture.

Who is it for?

This masters course is suitable for professionals and recent graduates of any subject. It will advance candidates' technical knowledge and soft skills necessary for scientific leadership roles and career development in the food and drinks sector. Candidates will develop an international perspective of agri-food sector, including case studies from Europe, Asia and Africa, in order to become champion professionals in the food and drink sector.

Weekly programme

The weekly programme is designed to suit professionals and their employment in parallel to the course. Most of the taught teaching is taking place from distance. Professionals and graduates based abroad are highly encouraged to apply. If you are interested in attending the course from distance, you should contact us in advance and discuss options of collaborating institutions and/or companies that could host your dissertation project. This can include your current employer or our collaborating organisations abroad.

Make a difference

Research visits, industry case studies and guest speakers from various countries will give you plenty of real-life exposure throughout the final year. As part of your dissertation project you will address real-life industry and societal problems. The combination of distance taught modules and research project will develop problem-solving skills applicable in the food industry and agriculture sector.

There is an opportunity to complete your research project in collaboration with the food industry and/or other organisations. Projects can be laboratory based or based in companies. You can do the practical part of your project in our research facilities at the Department of Food Science and Nutrition (University of the Aegean, Greece) which hosts a wide range of testing equipment and/or by placement in a company as part of your employment and/or our industry and academic partner organisations in Greece, Europe, Asia and Africa.

Stories from current students

Stergios

Stergios Melios has background in Business & Informatics, Food Science and Dairy Technology. His last role was as new product development engineer in the snacking industry and in the past he was involved in natural food products research and he used to run an artisanal dairy production plant. He has an interdisciplinary approach towards food research and a long experience working and volunteering with multicultural teams in several countries. In his opinion this masters is a unique opportunity for people from different backgrounds to get in touch with and to contribute to the food science of today and tomorrow. It covers all the current trends in food research and the global food market bringing together instructors and students from academic institutions around the world. “This MRes has already been a great contribution to the way I think of food as it made me aware of all the new ideas and technologies concerning our food system and food science”.

Jennifer

I am Jennifer Kajjabugere from Uganda. I hold a Bachelor’s degree in Food Processing Technology from Kyambogo University, Uganda. I have over 10 years’ practical work experience in the Uganda food processing industry. Starting as a Mixing Supervisor in a Juice and Beverage Industry for four years, then later as a Quality Control Officer in a Wheat and Maize Milling Industry for six years. Currently am working with JSI Research & Training Institute Inc., as a Project Officer on USAID Advancing Nutrition a USAID flagship multi-sectoral nutrition activity supporting the government of Uganda efforts to fight micronutrient deficiencies through large scale food fortification (LSFF). I took on the MReS course to expand my technical knowledge and acquaint myself with the new innovations in the food industry while at the same time meet new people with whom I share the passion.

Myrto

I am Dr Myrto-Kyriaki Filippidou and I am employed as a scientist at DEMOKRITOS National Centre for Scientific Research in Greece. I received my BSc degree in 2007 from National Kapodistrian University of Athens, Physics Department and my MSc in Microelectronics in 2010 from National Kapodistrian University of Athens, Telecommunications and Informatics Department. My undergraduate thesis was a study on silicon targets using charged particles and X-Rays, which was elaborated on Institute of Nuclear Physics at NCSR “Demokritos”, while my MSc thesis focused on biosensors and included the detection of DNA Hybridization. My PhD thesis was about the fabrication of flexible sensors based on carbon fillers. I am the author and co-author in 12 per-reviewed journals and indexed conference proceedings, while my h-index is 7. My current research interests are related to the development, fabrication and optimization of Lab on Chip devices for chemical and biological applications. Having developed an extensive expertise in microsensors and microsystems technology, through this master program I want to get involved in the food science field, discover new applications and explore the possibility of developing innovative solutions that will address important problems in the field.

Tenia

I am Dr Malamatenia Panagiotou. My bachelor’s degree is in English Linguistics, and I have a master’s degree in Lexicography. I have been working as a state school English teacher for 17 years, and for the last 3 years I have been the deputy head of a primary school. I have recently completed my doctoral thesis on the connection between language, food, and consumer emotions. I am doing this master’s course because I want to learn more about the latest global trends and innovative techniques in the food industry, in order to broaden the horizons of my work and connect with professionals around the world.

Sofia

I am Sofia Vasileiadou, a graduate of the Department of Food Science and Nutrition at the University of the Aegean. During my undergraduate studies, I had the opportunity to begin my career at Macedonian Thrace Brewery S.A. (www.verginabeer.com) in the Research and Development Department. There, I contributed to the creation of new products for the company and developed recipes for external collaborators, learning a lot about the food industry along the way.

Later, I took on the position of lab analyst while simultaneously completing my MRSc. Today, having finished my postgraduate studies, I am back in the R&D Department, where I am responsible for developing new products, participating in European research programs, and conducting sensory analysis at a scientific level for the company.

This postgraduate degree helped me discover new methods and practices in food science that I now apply in my work. It also gave me the chance to meet people from different cultures and learn many interesting things about them.