Wageningen University and Research Center

This course covers the basics of food technology: the chemistry, physics, microbiology, and process engineering of food. The course is designed for students with no or little prior knowledge of chemistry, physics, and biology. The course begins with a case study on an existing food product, studying all elements of the food label (ingredients, nutritional value, rules, and regulations) and finding out the production process of this product. Lectures cover the production processes including theories on chemical, microbial, physical, and process engineering.  Exercises are worked out to illustrate the theory. Processes reviewed include beer brewing, the production of chocolate, dairy production, sugar refinery, and the production of ingredients. The course also reviews the quality of foods as a function of the treatments and conditions, for example during shipment, pasteurization/sterilization, and storage.

This course deals with fundamental as well as applied aspects of insects and focuses on major themes in modern insect biology. Students choose their own trajectory to develop essential knowledge on (1) biological phenomena for which insects are good model systems or on (2) novel methods to apply fundamental knowledge to the management of insects in natural or agricultural environments, temperate zones, or in the tropics. The major aspects covered in this course include chemical and molecular ecology, behavioral and population ecology, functional biodiversity and agroecology, insect reproduction, and pollination ecology along with its application in crop protection, protection of human health, vector control, nature conservation, and insects as food and feed. Two topics are selected for essays written under the supervision of the Laboratory of Entomology.

This course is an introduction to environmental systems analysis. The course focuses on its analytical tools to assess climate change impacts and adaptation and apply these tools to a climate change impact problem. This course teaches through an environmental systems approach for analyzing complex environmental problems such as climate change. This approach provides a general framework to consider multiple aspects in exploring alternative solutions for complex environmental problems. Different analytical tools exist that can be used in environmental systems analysis, but the focus is on the tool conceptual model, regression model, and scenario analysis that together can be used to assess climate change impacts and adaptation. The systems approach, climate change impact, and adaptation assessment are taught in lectures, practiced in a practical, and applied in an assignment. In the assignment, students study a selected climate change impact problem linked to the study fields of the environmental systems analysis groups, for example, health, tourism, ecosystem services, biofuels, and nutrients. Datasets are provided and students set up a conceptual model, develop a statistical regression model, apply a scenario analysis, study adaptation options, and communicate results.

This course exposes students to developing innovative and entrepreneurial responses to complex problems. The course reviews recently established theories of entrepreneurship and innovation at individual, organizational, and institutional levels in emerging economy contexts.  Time is spent analyzing local, regional, and global issues facing entrepreneurs and organizations/institutions supporting entrepreneurship and innovation, with a special focus on issues related to food and agricultural sectors. Some prior field experience in emerging economies constitutes an advantage for the students in implementing the course activities.