Menu
The host of the 36th EFFoST International conference is University College Dublin (UCD). It is the largest university in Ireland with over 33,000 students drawn from 144 countries, including almost 4,000 students based at locations outside of Ireland. UCD is ranked within the top 1% of higher education institutions worldwide and is one of Europe’s leading research-intensive universities with research activities falling within its four strategic themes:
Food Science and Technology is a core academic and research strength within UCD spanning two of its constituent schools, the School of Agriculture and Food Science and the School of Biosystems and Food Engineering. In 2008, the UCD Institute of Food and Health was established to draw on the research strengths of these two schools alongside other schools working in the area of food and health, to create a centre of excellence and a hub for multidisciplinary research. Under the Directorship of Professor Dolores O’Riordan, co-Chair of the EFFoST 2022 International Conference, the Institute’s research focus is to Future Proof Global Food Systems. It currently draws its membership of over 200 from faculty, postgraduate students and postdoctoral researchers working across the university in the areas of Food Safety; Food Sustainability; Primary Production Systems; Innovative Food Processing; and Nutrition and Health. Within this membership, the Institute hosts some of the world’s most highly cited researchers and world leading experts in the area of food science and technology. Working with research partners across the university and within national and international multidisciplinary research programmes, the Institute to ‘future-proof global food systems enabling healthy living and societal well-being’.
UCD is privileged to be part of a large eco-system of research leadership on the island of Ireland. The Irish government has made significant investment in research as well as in public-private partnerships, which have stimulated food and bio-economy research and innovation to be responsive to the changing nature of innovation and global challenges. It has also led to the development and consolidation of considerable research expertise in food technology. Ireland has recently published its 2030 agri-food strategy which sets out the high ambition to become an international leader in Sustainable Food Systems over the next decade. The State has committed to continue to support the research required to underpin this ambition with appropriate funding.
Together with our colleagues from across the island of Ireland, from University College Cork, University of Limerick, Technical University of Dublin, Queen’s University Belfast and Teagasc, we are delighted and honoured to have the opportunity to host the 2022 EFFoST International Conference. We look forward to welcoming you and meeting you in Dublin in November.
