External Testimonials

Testimony of Dr. Faustina Dufie Wireko-Manu

Faustina Dufie Wireko-Manu is a Senior Lecturer and the Head of Department of Food Science and Technology at Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST) in Kumasi, Ghana. She was an invited Professor during the FIPDes Week 2019.

I was invited to the 2019 FIPDes Week as an Academic Partner from Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (KNUST), Ghana, from the 2nd to 6th September, in Paris. As part of scheduled activities, the entire FIPDes community was met, including fresh students, at an orientation programme. I made a presentation about KNUST and my Department (Food Science and Technology) to the FIPDes Consortium in the presence of the Head of AgroParisTech International Relations Office. Together we discussed potential areas of collaboration with my Department and University as a whole. It was a privilege for me to partake in the FIPDes International Advisory Board meeting, where I met the experienced and dedicated members from the industry, research institutions, NGO, alumni and academia, to review and strategize for an improved FIPDes programme. It was equally good to actively participate in a workshop on how to better address the sustainable development challenges in FIPDes within the global network. I really felt at home especially when I got to know that FIPDes has a keen interest in supporting the growth of food industries in Africa through collaborative activities.
Personally, the entire week was educative and informative, quite a number of things were learnt and shared, among which were innovation and sustainability in the food sector, healthy eating cultural habits and the passion with which FIPDes staff organized the whole week. I had very interesting and promising exchanges with students, academic staff and industry on potential collaborative options. I equally enjoyed serving as a jury for the best student flash presentation, and learnt a lot at the poster sessions. It was not all academic stuff at 2019 FIPDes week, there was Bateau Mouche tour at Vedette du Pont Neuf, where I learnt the rich culture and history of France right in the Centre of Paris. The week was crowned with a graduation ceremony, which was participated by people from different countries, and interestingly one of my former students from KNUST was part of the graduating class.
Seeing the common passion, objectives/goals and organized activities of my Department at KNUST with that of FIPDes was quite encouraging and full of hope for a fruitful collaboration. My special appreciation to FIPDes, Erasmus Mundus/EACEA and KNUST for the opportunity given to me to participate in the 2019 FIPDes week.
Merci pour l’invitation!


Testimony of Linda Luck

Linda Luck is a Professor of Chemistry at the State University of New York at Plattsburgh (USA). She participated in the FIPDes programme as an invited Professor in 2014, where she visited three of the FIPDes universities, lectured and participated in the FIPDes Advisory International Board Meeting.

The FIPDes Programme is a wonderful learning experience for both the Students and the Scholars involved. As an invited researcher and teacher I was integrated into this unique program which involved dozens of international students of different educational backgrounds. These students were given the opportunity to expanded their knowledge at four European Universities –(three of which I visited) to become extremely marketable in this global society. As a scientist, I was able to make contact with new collaborators, start new research projects in the area of Molecular Gastronomy and bring a new “flavour” home to my classroom in the US.


Testimony of Anne Goldman

Anne Goldman is the Vice President of Consumer Research at ACCE International (Canada). She was an invited Professor for the FIPDes summer school 2014 and offered lectures in sensory analysis

The FIPDes programme is unique, from the multidisciplinary content of four European Universities to the participating students who represent multiple countries, thereby giving the graduates from this programme a highly marketable international qualification. I believe that graduates from this programme will have excellent opportunities in global corporations and research institutes. I have and will continue to recommend the FIPDes programme to my colleagues in industry and academia. I hope that I will have the opportunity to participate further in an advisory capacity or instructor for Sensory Consumer Science to the FIPDes programme as I believe my discipline is an integral component to this programme


Interview of Roberto Pineda

Father of FIPDes graduate Viridiana Pineda
Research and Development Director Global Baking Centre of Excellence of PepsiCo

How did you feel when Viridiana applied to the FIPDes programme?
It was extraordinary that she would attend such a programme for international students. I thought it would open her mind for other things in the food discipline, because after all, we don’t only have the basic need of eating food to still hunger, there are also cultural aspects to consider.
Regarding her studies, there are a few things that strike me. First of all, to meet other international students is very enriching. But in FIPDes there are also three study locations in different countries for the individual student. This means that she or he will be directly exposed to the different national cultures, which is very good. Secondly, it is also good that the programme is in English. I have noticed that this improves the students´ communication skills a lot. Thirdly, the pool of professors and support around is amazing. As a father sending your daughter to the other side of the world you have to be confident that the system works. And it really does in FIPDes.

Which are your reflections from the FIPDes day?
Today I could see that the FIPDes graduates are skilled to integrate knowledge from different disciplines. That takes many years to achieve when working in a company. To me, this is a unique capability that few other students have. It is obvious that during their education, the FIPDes students take advantage of the different fields and see opportunities from many perspectives. For example, in the senior project about feeding the global population they took an idea about preserving food with spices and made it a universal concept, taking into account how to adapt to local conditions. To me this is fresh and innovative thinking.
For the programme as a whole, I could now see that food Innovation and product design is a discipline on its own. The graduated students integrate science with engineering and design, without falling into the trap of going too deep. Instead they see the overall picture.

Date of interview: 5 September 2013

Read the Master’s thesis by Viridiana Pineda:
Study of Key Success Factors in Early Stages of Innovation at a Global Scale

- Updated October 2019 -