Italy’s University of Gastronomic Sciences (UNISG) plans to launch a two-year master’s degree focusing on the economics, communications, and business administration of food and gastronomy industries.

The post-graduate degree in gastronomy and food communication, set to start January 2008, will be the fourth academic programme offered at UNISG.

Co-founded by the international non-profit organisation Slow Food, the UNISG’s educational philosophy incorporates an integrated approach to food studies, including the aspect of sustainability, a critical factor in food production and distribution, as well as in other food-related businesses.

“This is an important new step in our young school’s evolution,” said the university’s director, Vittorio Manganelli. “In our undergraduate degree we teach the humanities and technologies of gastronomy to create the broad-based knowledge food leaders today require. With this new graduate program, we are adding the application of modern business techniques for gastronomic enterprises.”

The first edition of the program will run until January 2010 and take place at the Pollenzo campus of the university, which is 28 miles south of Torino.

The aim of the course is to produce graduates ready for roles in the management and operations of food-and-wine tourism and high-quality food production businesses.

The two-year programme includes both on- and off-campus phases, including classroom lessons, practical assignments, workshops, exchanges with other universities, and professional internships. The first seven months will take place in Italy, as lessons and practical assignments alternate with technical, hands-on workshops. This will be followed by several months of study at a university in the US, where students earn credits that are transferred to their UNISG records.

The master concludes with a training internship in an international company or institution with specific professional activities assigned to each student.

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