PENANG, 19 January 2016 – The Food Technology undergraduate programme offered by the School of Industrial Technology at Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) since 1972, has been given recognition by the Institute of Food Technologists Chicago (IFT) in the United States of America (USA) and now provides scholarship opportunities for its students to pursue their studies there.

“USM is the only university from Malaysia to be recognised beginning 2016 for the next 5 years, which provides students with direct access to various scholarships offered to pursue their studies in the respective field without the need for further screening,” said the Dean, School of Industrial Technology Professor Dr. Azhar Mat Easa.

With this recognition, students from USM are now eligible for the “Undergraduate Feeding Tomorrow Scholarship’’ upon approval by the IFT Higher Education Review Board, which recognises universities throughout the world offering programmes in Technology and Food Science that have fulfilled the specified standards.

USM joins more than 60 universities all over the world which have been recognised by IFT since it was established in 1939, and now comprises of the expertise from 90 countries worldwide in collaborations to transform scientific knowledge into innovative solutions to benefit mankind.

USM is the first university from Malaysia to offer academic studies through its Food Technology Programme, with more than 2,000 students who have graduated and with the current enrolment of approximately 160 students.

“The exercise to obtain recognition have commenced since last year as part of the APEX Phase 2 internationalisation programme, by acquiring the services of a consultant from Hawaii to assist the USM School of Industrial Technology and the School of Chemical Sciences, with the outcome being truly encouraging, thus allowing the students international admission opportunities,” said Azhar.

He added that, this success is also hoped to open academic pathways for more international students to pursue their undergraduate studies in Food Technology at USM in the near future.

For further information, please refer to http://www.indtech.usm.my/programme/undergraduate/food-technology

Translation: Mazlan Hanafi Basharudin

Text: Mohamad Abdullah / Photos: Mohd Fairus Md. Isa