The strategy of the Faculty of Food Sciences and Biotechnology is based on the Development Strategy of the University of Life Sciences in Lublin for the period 2019-2030, adopted by resolution of the Senate of the university 66/2018-2019 on 24 May 2019.

Strategy of the Faculty of Food Sciences Biotechnology

The strategy of the faculty is closely related to the strategy of the university, to the current economic and demographic situation in the country and the region. The main goal of the faculty is: dynamic development to increase the importance of the unit in the scientific, didactic and economic space, in the region and in the country. Therefore, the priority for the staff and the students is to increase the knowledge and introduce modern and traditional methods of food processing. The personnel of the faculty supports the above-mentioned tasks by conducting research in the field of cognition, evaluation, and development of new techniques and technologies of food processing and proper human nutrition.

Strategic objectives of the Faculty of Food Sciences and Biotechnology

The goals of the faculty, as a member of the community of the University of Life Sciences in Lublin and a public entity, are:

1. Conducting scientific research in the field of technology, biotechnology and human nutrition and also in the field of broadly understood food sciences (C1);
2. Education of highly qualified personnel for the economy of the region and the country and constant improvement of the quality of education (C2);
3. Close cooperation with other scientific units and the industry in the field of scientific research and application works, dissemination of knowledge, technological and technical progress (C3);
4. Ensuring highly qualified teaching staff and upgrading the teaching and research base (C4).

The primary goals of the Faculty of Food Sciences and Biotechnology are:

• constant improvement and evaluation of the quality of education, increasing qualifications and taking advantage of scientific achievements of the academic teachers in the didactic work,
• involving persons with professional experience gained outside the university in the teaching process to ensure high quality of education,
• cooperation with the business community to provide internship for students and to organise some practical activities,
• constant consultation with the socio-economic environment to adapt the curriculum to the current needs of the labour market,
• launching new courses of study in accordance with the current needs of the labour market,
• gradual modernisation and upgrading of the educational base to ensure high standards of education,
• expanding educational offer and implementation of courses conducted in foreign languages, admission of students under the Erasmus Plus programme and the Polish National Agency for Academic Exchange programme,
• constant improvement of the operation of the internal education quality control system, the aim of which is to ensure and maintain the high quality of learning,
• improvement of the standards of diploma theses of individual fields of study,
• active promotion of the Faculty of Food Sciences and Biotechnology among high school students to familiarise them with the educational offer,
• extending the offer of education at the level of postgraduate studies and specialist courses.

1. Scientific research

The subject of conducted research is related to educational activities organised by individual units. There are works conducted in the following research areas:

• plant-based food technology,
• meat and milk technology,
• cereal technology,
• food quality and safety,
• biochemistry and food chemistry,
• food microbiology,
• improvement of food analysis methods,
• organic food,
• food biotechnology,
• plant phytochemistry,
• science of food commodities,
• human nutrition,
• proteomics, peptidomics, metabolomics, and nutrigenomics,
• industrial biotechnology,
• pharmaceutical biotechnology,
• synthesis of biologically active compounds.

2. Didactics

Basic didactic activities of the units of the faculty are related, as mentioned above, to the four fields of study at the faculty: Food Technology and Human Nutrition, Biotechnology, Dietetics, Gastronomy and Culinary Arts, as well as to courses at other faculties of the university: Commodity Science, Environmental Protection, Agriculture, Horticulture, Zootechnics, Biology, Agricultural Engineering. Within the framework of all courses of study, the university plans to continue improving the quality of the didactic process by modernising teaching programmes to offer students new subjects related to the latest achievements and directions of development of modern science. It is planned to increase the social competencies of students. The students are encouraged to take part in various kinds of activities and join voluntary organisations or scientific associations. The university constantly adjusts the profile of a graduate of a given faculty to the criteria of the Polish Qualifications Framework. It is planned to develop occupational guidance for students and graduates and to monitor the careers of the graduate students.

The period from 2020 – 2022 is the time for the university to make sure that the laboratories are modernised on a regular basis and equipped with high-tech measuring instruments and research devices. It is planned to expand the teaching offer in foreign languages, mainly in English. The system of activating and rewarding academic teachers for their results in teaching and research will be looked at and updated. The quality of education is constantly improved by raising the qualifications and competencies of the teaching staff (foreign languages, new teaching methods) and by using new methods and didactic techniques. The university ensures good cooperation of the teams responsible for the quality of education and curriculum councils.

3. Educational and research base

There are very good facilities and equipment at the faculty. The main task is to ensure that the existing teaching and research laboratories are always equipped with modern devices. To achieve the above, the university tries to obtain new financial resources, i.a., from structural funds or scientific projects. It is also planned to equip and modernise the three micro technical laboratories: meat processing technology, biotechnology and technology of plant raw materials. It is planned to redevelop the building at ul. Skromna and equip the laboratories with modern measuring instruments. The university plans to expand cooperation with companies and industrial plants in the field of education and introducing new technologies into industrial production, testing food quality (including organic food), developing recipes, production and modification of food to meet particular nutritional needs, developing methods to identify molecular markers of bioactive components of food, developing procedures to manufacture pharmaceutical preparations and biological elicitors in plant protection.

4. Personnel policy

The Faculty of Food Sciences and Biotechnology is authorised to award a title of doctor of agricultural sciences and a title of habilitated doctor of agricultural sciences in the discipline of food technology and nutrition. Within five years of study, 10 persons can be awarded the title of a professor, 6 persons can be awarded the title of habilitated doctor and 20-25 – the title of doctor. In connection with the development of scientific and research activities, the introduction of new specialisations and decreasing number of students at the same time, the university anticipates a slight increase in the number of employees. The university plans to search for new opportunities to train staff in new analytical techniques at leading scientific centres in the country and abroad as well as to raise the qualifications of employees through short and long-term domestic and international internships.

5. Promotion of the Faculty of Food Sciences and Biotechnology

The goal of the faculty is to actively promote its educational offer. A proper and competent presentation of the offer to high school students, i.e. potential candidates for the studies, should significantly increase the interest in the curriculum offered by the faculty and allow the candidates to make a more accurate choice of their further education. The educational offer of the faculty is presented during the university-wide, annual campaign called Open Day and during various types of meetings with young people who take part in, e.g., subsequent editions and stages of competitions organised by the university. The employees of the Faculty of Food Sciences and Biotechnology are involved in organising and conducting the above-mentioned competitions. During the competitions, they often present the educational offer of the faculty. Promotion of the faculty also includes organising and conducting, especially by junior members of the research and teaching staff of the Faculty of Food Sciences and Biotechnology, classes and demonstrations during the Science Festival and other events. Every year, at the faculty, there is a meeting organised with school children to integrate students and employees and to promote the faculty.