The FoSaMed Master accredited and ready to start in 2023

The FoSaMed project is an Erasmus+ project funded by the European Commission which aims to develop a joint Master’s Programme on Food Safety in Morocco.
Running from January 2021 to January 2024, it brings together four Moroccan universities promoting inclusive education through curriculum development and teacher education on food safety, namely the Agronomic and Veterinary Institute Hassan II (IAV), the National School of Agriculture (ENA), Ibn Tofail University (IBN) and Mohamed I University (UMP), supported by the project coordinator the University of Évora (UEVORA) together with the University of Barcelona (UB) and the Mediterranean Universities Union (UNIMED).

FENAGRI, the national agri-food federation, is an associated partner of the project. After months of dedication and hard work, the FoSaMed Master has been successfully accredited in the 4 Moroccan universities in November 2022.

Next academic year 2023/2024, a new Master on Food Safety will be available at the Agronomic and Veterinary Institute Hassan II (IAV), the National School of Agriculture (ENA), Ibn Tofail University (IBN) and Mohamed I University (UMP).

In line with the ERASMUS+ and KA2 objectives, the general objectives of the Master are:
ᴥ To train senior managers who master the different scientific approaches to food safety.
ᴥ To design and make available to research laboratories and companies a sustainable and
efficient training model to deal specifically with food safety issues.
ᴥ To involve students in food safety issues at local, national and international levels.

Specific objectives:
ᴥ To acquire the basic knowledge to analyze, diagnose and manage food safety problems.
ᴥ To acquire the basic knowledge to ensure a good valorization of agri-food products.
ᴥ To acquire the expertise, skills and tools necessary to solve the above-mentioned
problems. The teaching of fundamental concepts is accompanied by the learning of methodological tools, laboratory training, the presentation of current research issues and applications in the chosen specialties.

The Master includes a first year with a common curricular plan in the 4 HEIs, which will cover the following subjects: Food Chemistry, Food Microbiology, Laboratory Biosafety, Food Analysis Methods, Applied Statistics, Technical English, Food Toxicology, Unit Operations in Food Processing, Food Safety and Quality Management, Food Safety and Hygiene, Food Legislation, Human Nutrition and Health.

The second year is a specialisation year, with each of the Moroccan HEIs having a distinct specialisation: Milk and dairy products – IAV; Fruits and Vegetables – IBN; Olive Tree Products – ENA; Local Agri-Food Products – UMP. The Master also includes a period of internship and the writing of an internship memoir or thesis (Projet de Fin d’Etudes).

The description of all courses for each semester at each institution is described in the Master Programme.
The Master has a limited enrolment: 70 students will be welcome in total in the four institutions.
The pre-requisites to enroll in the Master and the selection procedure, together with the description of the teaching staff and material, are available in the Master Implementation Plan.
The enrollment calendar and the procedure to apply have not been published yet, and more information will follow in the spring 2023.
The courses are oriented towards professional and research careers in Food Safety. The teaching units have been chosen considering the national needs of Morocco in the field of food safety, in particular the training of qualified professionals able to strengthen the agri-food sector.

The aim of this Master’s degree is to enable graduates to enter working life after obtaining their diplomas, particularly in the following sectors:

• Scientific research in the field of food safety in university laboratories and public and private organizations;
• Food safety services in agri-food companies;
• Creation of students’ own companies (start-ups).

The last semester brings the students closer to the job market by offering an internship opportunity. The aim of the internship module is to put the student’s acquired knowledge into practice, to introduce him/her to the worlds of scientific research and work, and to enable him/her to acquire long-term professional experience. This internship also allows the student to confront his or her knowledge with the constraints of the given professional sector relevant to the fields of their training.

Moreover, the Erasmus+ Master’s degree prepares students to pursue doctoral studies in Morocco and Europe, particularly in the partner countries of the Erasmus+ project – Portugal and Spain.
The FoSaMed Master counts on a skilled, multidisciplinary, innovative and gender-balanced teaching team in addition to a modern pedagogical process, update technical skills and pioneering labs.

Moroccan academics are well-versed in modern and innovative teaching methodologies in order to design a Master programme which: 1) promotes the traditional Mediterranean diet 2) is associated to short food supply chains 3) promote an inclusive higher education by involving underprivileged groups, such as women, rural populations and refugees and giving them equal access to knowledge and opportunities.

Fonte: Press release Fosamed Project