Characteristics of Food Innovation Science

　In order to revitalize local communities amidst population aging/decline, it is increasingly necessary to develop human resources who possess the advanced professional knowledge and skills necessary to cope with food safety, quality assurance and globalisation in addition to the capability to use/utilize locally available bioresources and traditional food materials. Being in possession of problem-solving skills is also preferable. It is also necessary to train more human resources who can succeed in the production of shochu (distilled alcoholic beverage) and fermented foods which are local industries of Kagoshima Prefecture. To meet these requirements, Food Innovation Science has been newly established to provide educational and research opportunities in food innovation and development of new kinds of added-values. Specifically, the Department covers areas such as development of processing and preservation techniques to assure food safety in compliance to global standards; use/utilisation of locally available bioresources in ways that are undergirded by advanced life sciences; use of fermentation techniques with the support of applied microbiology, and other such techniques. The aim is to promote food industries and contribute to the development of local communities.

The Department of Food Innovation Science is a result of the reorganisation of the Departments which existed formerly: Biochemical Science and Technology, and Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources of the Graduate School of Agriculture, and Food and Life Sciences of the Graduate School of Fisheries. The new Department provides education and research opportunities through the following four Courses. Food Science focuses strongly on advanced education on the functionalities, preservation and processing of agricultural/fishery products. Advanced Life Science places great emphasis on sophisticated use/utilisation of natural resources based on the knowledge and techniques of advanced life science with a strong focus on application. Microbiology and Fermentation Technology gives high priority to advanced education in the functions and utilisation of microorganisms.　[Food Science]　[Advanced Life Science ] [Microbiology and Fermentation Technology ]

Our Image of Human Resources

　The Department develops human resources who possess advanced professional knowledge in food science of agricultural, livestock and fisheries resources, advanced life sciences, applied science and technology for food development, food processing and preservation science, shochu (distilled alcoholic beverage)/fermented foods and microorganisms, and have the skills to recommend and implement solutions to problems and to take a leading role in dealing with issues in the food and life science industries. To develop these human resources, the following three Courses are offered.

Food Science

• 　The Course provides professional education not only on the basic characteristics of the proteins, lipids and carbohydrates contained in locally available food materials and the relationship between their nutritional facts/functional ingredients and health, but also on processing characteristics, storage stability and safety. The goal of the course is to develop human resources who play a leading role in food-related fields and local communities.

Advanced Life Science

• The Course provides knowledge and skills in the advanced life sciences in an interdisciplinary way and offers the professional education necessary to do research in the advanced life sciences. The goal of the course is to develop human resources capable of comprehending the risk-benefit relationship of local biological resources and use/utilize them.

Microbiology and Fermentation Technology

• The Course provides professional education on the use of microorganisms and other biological resources to enable students to acquire such knowledge and skills so that they develop into human resources who will succeed in food-related fields or characteristic local industries such as shochu or fermented food production.

Diploma Policies

The Master’s degree in Agronomy or Fisheries Science shall be awarded to students who have been awarded the credit points required for graduation, passed the examination on their master’s thesis or screening of research outcome on a specific theme and acquired the following credentials/capabilities.

• Master’s degree (Agronomy)
  This degree provides more advanced professional knowledge in food science regarding produce and other agricultural, livestock and fisheries resources, advanced life sciences, applied science and technology for food development, food processing and preservation science, and shochu/fermented foods. To receive the degree, a student must:
  
  ・ Have mastered skills necessary to recommend and implement solutions to problems. ・ Possess the capability to point out problems in industries relating to food, life science, etc. and take a leadership in solving them.
• Master’s degree (Fisheries Science)
  This degree provides more advanced professional knowledge in food science regarding marine products and other agricultural, livestock and fisheries resources, advanced life sciences, applied science and technology for food development and food processing and preservation science, and shochu/fermented foods.To receive the degree, a student must:
  
  ・ Have mastered skills necessary to recommend and implement solutions to problems. ・ Have the capability to point out problems in industries relating to food, life science, etc. and take a leadership in solving them.

Each Course of this Department shall award the following degree. The type of degree awarded shall be decided depending on the research field and the subjects the student has completed. ・Food Science: Master’s degree (Agronomy) or Master’s degree (Fisheries science)
・Advanced Life Science: Master’s degree (Agronomy) or Master’s degree (Fisheries science)
・Microbiology and Fermentation Technology: Master’s degree (Agronomy)