20 AIT SUSTAINABILITY 22 REPORT
END HUNGER, ACHIEVE FOOD SECURITY AND IMPROVED NUTRITION AND PROMOTE SUSTAINABLE AGRICULTURE
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n 2022, AIT’s work to promote SGD2 included offering a Food Innovation, Nutrition, and Health Program, which offers professional and research degrees enabling graduates from diverse backgrounds and nationalities to transfer holistic knowledge in food science, innovation, and nutrition for a healthier and sustainable society in their
own country. Other contributions included a collaboration between Asian and European academic institutions, with the goal of developing specialists in the food industry and promoting research, entrepreneurism, risk management, livestock insurance, disease control, and innovation.
FOODI ERASMUS+ PROJECT LAUNCHES FOOD INNOVATION, NUTRITION, AND HEALTH (FINH) ACADEMIC PROGRAM AT AIT
Duration: Description of activities in 2022: The Asian Institute of Technology (AIT) has launched the Food Innovation, Nutrition, and Health (FINH) Program under the School of Environment, Resources, and Development (SERD) after receiving endorsement in August 2020. This comprehensive program offers various degrees, including MSc, PhD, MPhil, and Professional Masters to provide holistic knowledge in food science, innovation, and nutrition for a healthier and sustainable society. In its first year, the program received over 150 applications from diverse backgrounds and nationalities, enrolling twelve post-graduate students. The FINH program was developed within the framework of the Erasmus+ Capacity Building- Food Processing and Innovation (FOODI) project, co-funded by the European Union. Prof. Anil Kumar Anal serves as the Principal Investigator (PI) for the project, which involves a consortium of 16 Higher Education Institutes (HEIs). The program aims to address societal challenges by nurturing innovation in sustainable food processing and nutrition. It focuses on unraveling the food-health nexus and developing higher-level thinking skills in students to enable them to understand the multidimensional nature
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of food safety, food security, and nutrition challenges. Graduates will acquire knowledge and competencies in areas such as innovative food product development, policy analysis and implementation, product design and management, and impact assessment. They will be wellequipped to work in various sectors, including research and development, product innovation, public health, regulatory agencies, and the food industry, bringing a nutrition perspective to their work. The FOODI project, initiated with support from the European Union and ERASMUS+, aims to enhance social and economic growth by integrating innovation management and food processing. It involves collaboration between Asian and EU academic institutions with the goal of developing specialists in the food industry and promoting research and innovation. The project encompasses 16 organizations from EU and Asian countries and aims to support students at local, regional, and national levels through internship programs and academic expertise. The project emphasizes mastering innovation and a disruptive approach to success, fostering creativity, professional