Master of Gastronomy: World Food Cultures and Mobility

This Master is designed for international students who want to learn about the different dimensions of food and understand how the political, economic, social, cultural and nutritional aspects are connected.

The program addresses the most debated contemporary issues relating to food policy, sovereignty and sustainability, with a particular focus on:

1. world landscapes of gastronomy, food systems and culinary cultures;
2. emerging trends and global changes in food systems and cultures resulting from intensive mobilities of people, social imaginaries, ideals, goods and capital;
3. worldwide, non-Western and decolonized perspectives on food production, distribution and consumption;
4. the promotion of biodiversity and cultural diversity.

The Master of Gastronomy: World Food Cultures and Mobility is taught by approximately 50 lecturers from 13 different countries who provide students with a truly worldwide and diversified study of food.

Teaching

The program’s structure is based on an interdisciplinary study of gastronomic sciences, with an emphasis on an active and experiential learning experience for students.

The program is divided between:

1. Classes, with two types of course:

- Survey courses taught by leading international scholars providing an advanced introduction to food studies and exploring cutting-edge thinking about food in different academic fields:
- - food history;
  - food geography;
  - food anthropology;
  - food sociology and multiculturalism;
  - food philosophy;
  - food politics and economics;
  - food and social movements;
  - food, nutrition and public health;
  - food and cultural ecology;
  - food design;
  - food photography;
  - diversity in environmental & sustainability communications; sustainable agriculture
- Specialised courses taught by academics, experts, and activists, focusing on:
  Contemporary perspectives on food and the world foodscapes;
  Food systems, sustainability and cultural politics of food;
  Food cultures and world cuisines;

Key concepts covered during classes include:

the fast-changing landscape of gastronomy and culinary cultures;
food politics, food governance, and food justice;
the environmental and social sustainability of farming, food processing, and trade;
human migrations, the mobility of food, and multiculturalism;
developing trends in food marketing, representation, and taste;
regional, national, and experimental cuisines.

2. Tastings: Courses and workshops taught by professionals offering an advanced introduction to historical aspects, qualities and evaluation, introducing students to the multi-sensorial evaluation of selected world ingredients.

3. Study trips: Three one-week study trips (one in Italy, one in Europe and another outside Europe) provide students with a profound understanding of global food systems, both artisanal and industrial, by visiting far-flung places and going behind the scenes of food production. Study trips allow students to meet the real protagonists of contemporary food systems, such as farmers, producers, chefs and other food professionals, while tasting typical products in their areas of origin.

4. Internship: The internship aims to give students the opportunity to explore, through work experience, some of the topics studied during the previous months of classes and study trips. Alternatively, students can choose to pursue an individual research project.

5. Final thesis and presentation: To be completed under the guidance of a faculty advisor on a topic relating to the program’s content and expected to bring new original knowledge to the field of food studies.

Building a global network with an international program

The University of Gastronomic Sciences have a high proportion of international students, with up to 80% from outside Italy. This allows students to acquire valuable cross-cultural skills and develop an international network thanks to:

a strongly international community of students, representing 87 different countries;
interaction with visiting lecturers from around the world;
meetings with the protagonists of the food world during on-campus activities and study trips;
the businesses and other organizations belonging to the University of Gastronomic Sciences network;
a direct relationship with Slow Food’s projects and network.

Career opportunities

The Master of Gastronomy: World Food Cultures and Mobility prepares future food industry professionals to be key figures in food-related or agricultural businesses and organizations that implement social platforms focused on food sovereignty.

Some sectors where our graduates work:

- Marketing & communications
- Food consultancy
- Research and development
- Education & training
- Non-governmental organizations
- Journalism
- Food services & catering
- Management
- Production

Within the different employment sectors, our graduates can apply their knowledge and skills to areas such as food and wine writing or editing, PR consultancy, brand management/development, wine and food education, product development, gastronomic consultancy and many more.

Program director: Prof. Simone Cinotto

Group: 25 students maximum
Attendance: obligatory at 80% of total hours

Application deadline: 4th July, 2018
Ranking list: 11th July, 2018

Start date: 10th October, 2018

Subject Areas

CONTEMPORARY PERSPECTIVES ON FOOD AND THE WORLD FOODSCAPE

Food History
Food Anthropology
Food and Sustainability
Cultural Ecology
Sustainable Agriculture and Agroecology
Food and Public Health
Food Philosophy
Psychology of Food and Eating
Food Writing
Food Photography
Food Design
Taste Science
Slow Food International
History of Slow Food
Slow Food Philosophy

FOOD SYSTEMS, SUSTAINABILITY, AND THE CULTURAL POLITICS OF FOOD

Diversity in Environmental and Sustainability Communications
Food, Gender, and Sexuality in Traditional and Contemporary Societies
Urban Food Systems
Mobility and Logistics in the Global Food Commodity Market
International Food Systems Policy and Politics
Beyond Lucy: An Ape’s Perspective on the Origin of Food and Medicines
Gastronomy, Sustainability and Global Issues: A Holistic Approach
Food, Empire, and Post-Colonialism
Food Policies and Institutions in Sub-Saharan Africa
Activism for Equality and Food Justice in Urban Spaces
Agroecology and Sustainable Farming
Food and Popular Culture
Culinary Diplomacy
Geographical Indications and Food Quality in the European Union

FOOD CULTURES AND WORLD CUISINES

History and Culture of Food in Modern Italy and the Globalization of Italian Cuisine
History and Anthropology of South East Asian Cuisines
Middle Eastern Cuisine and the Globalization of Middle Eastern Food
Chinese Cuisine and the Globalization of Chinese Food
Japanese Cuisine and the Globalization of Japanese Food
Native American Cuisines
Food Power and Resistance in the Andes
Ethno Ecologies in Pakistani Himalaya
Traditional Knowledge and Agro-Biodiversity in the Caribbean
New Nordic Cuisine
New Latin American Cuisines

FOOD, MIGRATION, AND DIASPORAS

Migrant Workers in the Global Food Chain
Culinary Traditions of Africa, African America and the African Diaspora
Food in the Jewish Diaspora
The Sociology and Cultural Economy of the Ethnic Restaurant

TASTINGS (see “Tastings: Food & Wine” below)

* Course and module titles subject to change

Tastings: Food & Wine

Sense of Smell
The Theory and Practice of Food Education
Food & Wine Parings
Wine Tasting
Wine Technology, Elements of Viticulture and Enology
Beer: Ingredients, Brewing, Styles and Tasting
Beer: Sensoy Analysis Lab
History, Processing, Cocoa Cultivation and Diversity
The Taste of Coffee and Different Ways to Brew it
Cheese Technology and Italian Cheeses
Cheese: Sesnsory Tasting Lab
Cured Meat Technology and Tasting
Olive Oil Technology and Tasting
Spirits Technology and Tasting
Sake and Tea Ceremony
Tea Technology and Tasting of Tea

Study Trips

3 study trips to destinations in Italy, Europe, and outside Europe, offering students a unique first-hand experience of food producers and their work, the structure and flavors of the local gastronomy, and the complexity of food issues.

Particular attention will be paid to concepts of terroir, food ecologies, and differences between industrial and more traditional settings, as well as first-hand experience along the entire food chain, including distribution and communications. Academic and logistical planning will be managed by university tutors, who also accompany the students during this phase of the program

UNISG Study Trip Learning Cornerstones

Lessons lead by historians and experts in the field of eno-gastronomy

Cooking demonstrations lead by chefs and restaurateurs

Visits to working in the context of traditional markets, Slow Food projects (Ark of Taste, Slow Food Presidia, Food Community, etc) and local restaurants

Cultural tours to discover the region

More info about the study trips >

Career Center

The Career Center supports UNISG students during the delicate transition into the professional world. While the students are here in Pollenzo, the Career Center provides constant support to develop their own unique career design through the “Cultivating your Career” program, which consists of collective workshops and individual coaching sessions.

Through the Career Fair and the Career Center website, the office helps students in gaining a better understanding of different professional sectors to start or continue their career.

Upon graduation, the Career Center continues monitoring the Alumni career, fostering a strong and active professional network that puts together new and experienced gastronomes worldwide.

More info about the Career Center >

Fees, Financial Aid & Scholarships

The university fee for the Master of Gastronomy: World Food Cultures and Mobility is €16,500.
The fee includes:

all academic activities, including conferences, tastings, and seminars;
study material (in digital format);
all study trip expenses as programmed, including travel, food and lodging;
participation in all UNISG and Slow Food events as included in the Master program;
civil insurance coverage (during academic activities);
private insurance policy covering urgent healthcare for non-European students;
4000 credits on your lunch cards to be used at UNISG Academic Tables (corresponds to €400);
access to Career Office services (food sector job placement).

Note: Fees do not include accommodation and the cost of obtaining an Italian permit of stay (“permesso di soggiorno”, around €150). Non-EU citizens must apply for a permesso di soggiorno at the post office, ideally with the assistance of the Al Elka Foreigner Services Center, within 8 working days after arriving in Italy. For more information, please see the Bureaucratic Procedures page on our website.

Financial Aid & Scholarships >

Requirements

> an undergraduate or first-level degree
> proficiency in written and spoken English

Important Information

Students from all countries are eligible to apply. Note that diplomas issued from non EU-accredited institutions must be accompanied by an Italian consular accreditation (the “Dichiarazione di Valore” or “DV”) as part of the admission process, which candidates must obtain and submit to the Registrar Office. The original DV must be handed in to the Registrar Office no later than the first day of the program and will be kept by the university for the duration of the program. (The consulate may choose to send the document directly to UNISG.) The application to UNISG must be completed through an Italian consular representative. Applicants should contact their local Italian consulate as early as possible to ensure adequate time for all consular processes. For more information, please see the Bureaucratic Procedures page on our website.