Browsing by Author "Cohen, Eli"
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- Innovative curriculum strategies for managing the future of food science, technology and engineering educationPublication . Saguy, I. Sam; Silva, Cristina L. M.; Cohen, EliThe rapid advancement of science and technology, driven by digitalization and artificial intelligence, underscores the need to reevaluate food science, technology, and engineering (FST&E) education. A global study with 688 respondents examined key challenges and opportunities in this evolving field, gathering input from professionals and students in Africa, China, Eastern and Western Europe, USA & Canada, and South America & Mexico. The study aimed to identify strategies such as hybrid teaching, project-based learning, interdisciplinary collaboration, and internships to meet future educational demands. Principal Component Analysis highlighted two key factors: professional development (PC1), which grouped adaptability, employability, soft skills, and apprenticeships; and future-oriented education (PC2), clustering hybrid teaching, curriculum revisions, nutrition integration, and research projects. African participants placed greater emphasis on these factors compared to USA respondents. A notable finding was the lower engagement of food engineering (FE) professionals with both principal component factors compared to their food science and technology (FST) counterparts. This suggests a possible resistance to change or higher satisfaction with the status quo, which could limit FE professionals' ability to meet future business and innovation requirements. This is concerning given the rapid technological and science progress and the necessity for new curricula that foster innovation. The study underscores the importance of adapting FST&E education to regional differences and evolving industry expectations. It advocates for strategic educational transformations that integrate emerging technologies, interdisciplinary approaches, and practical learning opportunities to equip students for future challenges and capitalize on new opportunities in the FST&E field.
- Open-ended feedback on education innovation of food science, technology and engineeringPublication . Saguy, I. Sam; Silva, Cristina L. M.; Cohen, EliIn an era of rapid technological advancement and digitally native generations, education in food science, technology, and engineering must undergo transformative changes to meet modern progress and challenges. The integration of artificial intelligence and digital tools is reshaping curricula, fostering innovation, and equipping future professionals with the skills needed to address increasingly complex responsibilities. Future competencies include open innovation, cross-sector collaboration, creativity, sustainability, social responsibility, interdisciplinary teamwork, and others. To identify gaps in current curricula, key challenges, and opportunities for advancement, a global survey was conducted among students, academics, and industry professionals. Following previous studies utilizing close-ended questions, this study employed an open-ended method to elicit spontaneous insights and minimize possible biases associated with close-ended counterpart approach. Key findings highlighted the importance of practical, hands-on learning and business skills, greater emphasis on sustainability and environmental impact, increasing demand for technology integration and recognition of regional disparities and needs, and drive for globalization while maintaining local relevance. The study’s main recommendations included: Higher education reform requires regular curriculum updates that balance global education needs with local relevance and integrating advanced innovation and science; Enhanced resource allocation should support practical training; International collaboration through student exchanges, research partnerships, and knowledge-sharing platforms, along with strong industry integration via internships and applied projects. The use of open-ended question proved to be a highly effective method for capturing respondents’ perspectives often overlooked by close-ended approaches.
- Reshaping food science, technology and engineering education embracing nutrition integration and sustainabilityPublication . Saguy, I. Sam; Silva, Cristina Luísa Miranda; Cohen, EliA recent global survey taken among food professionals that included more than 700 respondents, mainly food scientists and technologists (FST) and food engineers (FE), revealed that the food industry has significant major roles impacting many education attributes. It included: academic partnership and collaboration (ranked #1), sustainability, circular economy food waste management, internships, and the most influential professional organization considering education. It was quite surprising that almost 70% of the respondents were affiliated with academia, the majority with a PhD and above. On the other hand, the food industry suffers from a very low image for many nutritionists that are promoting ultra-processed foods (UPFs). For instance, “… these products are highly palatable, cheap, ubiquitous, and contain preservatives that offer a long shelf life. These features, combined with aggressive industry marketing strategies, contribute to excessive consumption and make these products highly profitable for the food, beverage, and restaurant industry sectors that are dominant actors in the global food system” (Monteiro et al., 2019). This discrepancy between the FST and FE reflection of the food industry and a large number of nutritionists calls for a new paradigm to overcome the chasm separating these two domains. The professional study showed that the concept of enhanced integration with nutrition received a weighted average value of almost ‘high’ (on a Likert-type scale). This opens a new avenue for innovative and paradigm shift considerations such as mutual curricula, industrial internships, and novel methodologies for education such as project-based learning, hybrid-learning, the flipped classroom, design thinking, personalization, and sustainability. These new ideas will be covered.