6th group of food tech students graduate at Singapore campus

Sixth group of food tech students graduate at Massey’s Singapore campus

Thirty-eight graduates from Massey University’s Singapore campus have been honoured at a capping ceremony to mark the end of their studies and the beginning of their careers.

The Bachelor of Food Technology with Honours programme was launched in Singapore in 2008 in partnership with Singapore Polytechnic. It allows students to undertake a “gold-standard” degree without leaving Singapore and producing highly employable graduates. Entrants to this programme are top polytechnic students who have completed their diplomas in food science related courses.

Pro-Vice Chancellor of the College of Health Professor Paul McDonald chaired the graduation ceremony and says, “We are really proud of our graduates and the impact many are already making in the food industry in Singapore. Our colleagues at Singapore Polytechnic deserve our thanks as well. We’ve enjoyed seven years of successful collaboration that’s allowed Singapore Polytechnic students to complete a Massey food technology degree recognised around the world.”

Director of Massey Institute of Food Science and Technology Distinguished Professor Harjinder Singh, thanked Singapore Polytechnic for its excellent partnership and the staff from both institutions for their hard work and dedication in delivering such a successful programme. “Congratulations to the graduates. The School of Food and Nutrition is proud of your accomplishments and wish you all the best in your future careers.”

Associate Professor Kelvin Goh, who manages the programme at the Singapore campus, congratulated the graduates. “Their perseverance and hard work has indeed paid off. I believe this degree will provide huge opportunities for them in their career. I wish them the very best in their future endeavours”.

He added that the success of this programme are due to the dedication of the staff from Massey University and the staff from Singapore Polytechnic, plus a great group of very hard-working and motivated students. Personally, he found it very rewarding to witness the positive impact the intensive programme has on the students not only in terms of equipping them with technical knowledge, but also in the transformation of their character.

Professor Goh said that the graduates are well sought after in the food industry. “The employability of graduates from the last five cohorts is a clear testament to the relevance of the Food Technology Programme in Singapore. Already 25 per cent of this group has found employment in the food industry before graduating.”

Massey University Director of International Arthur Chin took the opportunity at the graduation to speak with some of the new graduates as well as earlier cohorts who have returned to support their alma mater. “I was impressed by the quality of the final year projects the new graduates had completed, and also the amount of recognition by the local food industries for Massey's food technology programme across Southeast Asia.”

Associate Professor Marie Wong says the ceremony is also about celebrating the success of PhD graduate May Wee Sui Mei. “She graduated in 2010 with her Bachelor of Food Technology with an Honours degree in the first inaugural Singapore class. May completed her PhD at the Manawatu campus and returns home to graduate with her friends and family. Her research had a very New Zealand flavour, investigating the physico-chemical characteristics and functionality of the polysaccharide extracted from the New Zealand black tree fern.”

Additional info: In the last seven years, 192 students have graduated from the Singapore programme and are highly sought after for technical and management positions in the food industry in Singapore and South East Asia as well as New Zealand and around the world. The degree is unique as it is very practical and applied, incorporating up to date current industry developments and needs.

The programme has also produced nine high quality graduates who continued on to postgraduate studies, mostly at the PhD level in New Zealand.

Last year marked the 50th anniversary of the food technology degree at Massey University.

ENDS

© Scoop Media