In June, 2011, the B.S. in Food Science and Technology program at Jiangnan University (JU) was recognized as meeting the IFT Undergraduate Education Standards Degrees in Food Science by the Institute of Food Technologists (IFT). So far IFT has awarded its recognition to totally 48 universities in the world, all renowned for their education and research in food science, such as Cornell University, University of Wisconsin-Madison, University of Illinois-Urbana-Champaign, University of Minnesota, Purdue University, University of California-Davis, University of British Columbia. JU is the sole thus certified in China.
IFT, established in 1938, headquarter in Chicago, USA, is the most authoritative and influential academic society universally acknowledged in the international food science field. The recognition of IFT is intending to promote B.S. education in the food science for a better output of specialists in the said field. To this end, IFT, from 1960s, set up the food science B.S. education certificate and its relevant standards, and have them renewed every 10 years, so as to avail colleges and institutions when choosing disciplines, deciding upon guiding principles and judging the B.S. teaching achievements. Later these standards were adopted by IFT High Education Review Board as the necessities of undergraduates majoring in food science.
With the support of President Chen Jian, JU initiated the IFT recognition application process from Nov. 2011. Specifically, the School of Food Science & Technology organized a preparatory committee with the duty of coordination and execution, from submitting documents, perfecting English website of the School, to oral defense over the phone. In the end of April, 2011, the judging panel of IFT High Education Review Board, after listening to the oral defense, collected ballots and certified JU with the certificate. JU was also listed in the official website of IFT. This June, Vice President Xu Yan received the certificate on his trip to US.
This recognition symbolizes a breakthrough of Chinese food science and technology in its international strategy and represents the international standard of food science teaching in Jiangnan University. It lays a solid foundation for the further development of the undergraduate education and internationalization of the School in the long run. (Han)
