Last week, in the wood-panelled East Room of University House, business leaders and academic experts gathered to launch a new post-graduate degree specifically for the food and packaging industry. The new Masters of Food and Packaging Innovation program, which aims to foster creative innovation, entrepreneurial practices and drive further engagement with Asia, is a collaboration between The University of Melbourne and global food giant, Mondelez International and the Australian Institute of Packaging*.
Offered over two full-time years (or four part-time), the program explores food science, entrepreneurship and innovation in product and packaging design at an advanced level. Students will learn food science fundamentals, analyse product and packaging design, project management and critical thinking skills and engage in a rigorous six-month industry internship. Besides gaining a broad understanding of the industry, graduates will also have specialised in a specific expert stream, either Packaging, Consumer Analytic or Creativity and Innovation.
Dean of the Faculty of Veterinary and Agricultural Sciences, Professor Ken Hinchcliff, believes that the time is ripe to develop a deeper pool expertise in the food and packaging industry. “Fast moving foods, as we know, are a growing export industry, with the potential to grow further and faster as the middle class of Asia continues to grow in spending power,” he said at the launch. “Even more than most industries, this sector is driven by innovation. It requires creative thinkers, who can take a critical view of processes and products, and use this to create new products that will surprise and excite consumers.”
The program is an unusual move for the University, in that its inception was very much driven by Mondelez, which requested the institution develop the degree. “This is a very different way for the University of Melbourne to approach a Master’s degree,” explained University of Melbourne vice-chancellor, Professor Glyn Davis. “We’re an academic institution that is used to framing things around academic questions. But we know the world has changed around us, and we need to change.”
Managing director of Mondelez International Australia and New Zealand, Amanda Banfield, told PKN it became clear to the company it needed to be doing even more to invest in building capability to sustain competitiveness for the longterm. “Innovation, for us, is really one of the most important growth levers that we have,” she said. “We see [this degree] addressing a rather major skills-gap within the industry. It’s absolutely about finding a talent pipeline, and finding ways to stimulate innovation all the way through the supply chain.”
Academic program coordinator, Professor Frank Dunshea, believes the program will not only provide a pool of excellent quality graduates to the industry, but will drive important research and development at the university. At present, there are around 30 students completing PhDs in food and agricultural areas, but there are none in the packaging field. “We’re certainly hoping there will be students who flow through from the Masters into the PhD,” he said. “There’s a strong nexus between teaching and research. Obviously, if you’re an expert in an area you can teach well in that area too.”
Dunshea believes the new Masters will help grow the Australian industry’s profile on the international stage. In concert with the Masters program, the University is involved in an ARC-funded Industrial Transformation Research Program with Mondelez, which includes a packaging program, in particular for product going into China. “In some areas we’re at the forefront. I think we’ve got excellent raw products to develop and work with,” said Dunshea. “But, we do lack some of the creativity and the innovators, those people who come up with the ideas, and take them through to a product. That’s where we and the industry see the real gap.”
Recent graduates of any Bachelor’s degree - including Science with a major of food science, biotechnology or chemistry, but also those with degrees in Business - are encouraged to apply, as are professionals already working in the industry. The university has also made a number of $25,000 high-achiever bursaries available allow students to commit wholly to the degree. For her part, Banfield believes the degree will allow graduates to hit the ground running the minute they find a position. “I’m very much looking forward to working with future graduates of this program,” she said.
*The AIP will be coordinating the Food Packaging Materials and Processes subjects and the Food Packaging Design subjects for the Masters program. These are both industry-based units offering teaching from specialised and skilled industry experts. Mondelez approached the AIP to ensure packaging was also represented, since it plays such an important role in the launch of new products within the food industry.
The AIP already offers extensive industry education and training opportunities, from the half-day training courses, new CPP credential, Certificate in Packaging, Diploma in Packaging Technology and now, the Master of Food and Packaging Innovation course.
