Promoting innovative teaching methods is a key element of the IFSTAL programme and was very much in evidence when the new IFSTAL academic year at the University of Warwick got off to a flying start on 18 October.
More than 40 students enjoyed an evening of food and introductions to the IFSTAL programme at the event, which was held in the University’s Zeeman Building (named after Sir Christopher Zeeman who founded the Mathematics Department at the then new University of Warwick in 1964).
The students – both PhD and Masters students – represented a wide range of departments and courses, including Life Sciences (which offers Masters courses in Food Security, Crop Production and Environmental Bioscience), Engineering, Economics, English, Public Health, Business and Law.
As well as excellent food and drink, students enjoyed an ice-breaker exercise which tested their food knowledge. They had to decide ‘What Am I?’ based only on chemical descriptions of food stuffs – the foods in question turned out to be a banana, an egg, a passion fruit, and blueberries.
At the launch Warwick students got a chance to ‘meet’ their fellow students at the other IFSTAL collaborating universities through a live link. They then heard from Rosina Borrelli, IFSTAL’s Workplace Engagement Lead, who was attending the Warwick launch. She encouraged everyone to take advantage of all that IFSTAL can offer – from the chance to make valuable contacts in a wide range of organisations and disciplines to the work experience opportunities provided by the programme as well as engaging with the academic content exploring ‘food systems’. Dr Rosemary Collier, the academic lead for IFSTAL at Warwick, said: “Since the start of IFSTAL in 2014 we have had some really great students from Warwick go through the programme and tell us how they benefitted. It was a pleasure to meet our latest cohort and we look forward to engaging with everyone and having another positive IFSTAL year”.
For more information about the IFSTAL programme at Warwick contact: Michael.Heasman@warwick.ac.uk
Photo by Erol Ahmed on Unsplash
