Medway Based Organisation Teams Up With Twin in Global Food Project
The University of Greenwich at Medway's Natural Resources Institute (NRI) has
teamed up with other educational establishments around the globe, to help people in the Lebanon learn more about food production.
The NRI is working with the Université de Valenciennes et du Hainut Cambresis based in Chatham’s twin town in Northern France, as well as Intercollege, a Cyprus-based private teaching institution, to help establish a two-year professional masters award programme at the University of Balamand, in the Lebanon.
Intercollege is leading the consortium to provide the course in Food Science and Technology but all three educational centres will be contributing training and expertise to get the course syllabus up and running.
The food sciences programme will be designed to reflect the specific foods of the eastern Mediterranean and is aimed at people already working in the industry. Course graduates will have a recognised qualification, which will help them comply with international food export standards and regulations.
Linda Nicolaides, the NRI’s Principal Food Microbiologist and Quality Assurance Manager, said: “In setting up this course, we are working in collaboration with other institutions to improve expertise in food handling in developing parts of the world which in turn should help them when dealing with overseas traders.”
Previously NRI helped develop a similar course in Food Safety to be taught in Uzbekistan and Kazakhstan. Its work in Lebanon is being funded by the EU Tempus programme.
Notes to Editors
Since 1890, the Natural Resources Institute (NRI) has been leading Britain’s drive to help countries improve and manage their own natural resources. Today's NRI has evolved from the development and amalgamation of many parent organisations. The oldest of these, the Imperial Institute, was based in Kensington, London, and its Scientific and Technical Department was primarily concerned with identifying and promoting new uses of tropical products from across the Empire.
Since its inception, the organisation has helped countries deal with increasingly diverse issues such as locust control as well as plant and animal protection. In 1988 Chatham became the organisation’s new home and it was renamed the Natural Resources Institute in 1990. In 1992 the UK Government announced plans to move some of its scientific institutions to the Higher Education sector. By this time, part of the Chatham site was sub-let to the University of Greenwich, which expressed an interest in acquiring the Institute. The final transfer of the Institute to the University of Greenwich occurred in 1996.
The twinning link between Medway (formerly Chatham) and Valenciennes (www.valenciennes.fr) is the second oldest in the UK, dating back to 1955. The continuing twinning activities are the responsibility of the Valenciennes and Overseas Twinning Committee that involves Medway councillors alongside representatives of the local community.
Representatives of the town of Valenciennes visit Medway at least once a year and often attend events in Medway such as the summer Dickens Festival.
For further media information, broadcast, photographic and interview opportunities, please contact:
- University of Greenwich at Medway Public Relations, tel: 020 8331 9420
- Delphine Houlton, Andrew Metcalf or Jez Durrant, at Maxim, tel: 01892 513033