SINGAPORE – Nanyang Technological University, Singapore (NTU)—one of the top universities in Asia—has approved a new undergraduate course titled “Future Foods – Introduction to Advanced Meat Alternatives,” to help drive innovation in plant-based foods.  

The course which will be launched in August this year was created in collobaration with the Good Food Institute Asia Pacific (GFI APAC), a global nonprofit headquartered in Washington DC that works to accelerate alternative protein innovation. 

According to a statement from GFI APAC, the course aims to equip NTU students with expertise and knowledge of the food industry focusing on alternative proteins and cultivated meat. 

Singapore is at the forefront of the alternative proteins sector, with international food tech startups such as Perfect Day, Eat Just, Givaudan and Bühler setting up their regional base of operations here. 

The course will help to develop local talent for the alternative meats sector in Singapore, as regional appetite for plant-based meat and other alternative proteins continues to soar.  

It is also in line with national needs, as alternative protein has been identified as an integral part of the Singapore government’s “30 by 30” goal to produce 30 per cent of the country’s nutritional needs locally by 2030. 

This will be the first such program offered by a Singaporean tertiary institution, with the first batch of undergraduates enrolling later in the year.  

It will be offered as an elective to third and fourth year students taking the Food Science & Technology degree program as a 2nd Major. 

“As a leading research-intensive university, NTU has been playing its part in nurturing talent for the various emerging sectors of the economy, in close collaboration with industry,” said Professor Ling San, NTU Deputy President and Provost. 

“Our partnership with the GFI APAC will see NTU leveraging its strength in emerging food technologies to develop local talent in the alternative protein sector.” 

The course offered in NTU will be based on GFI’s unique alternative protein curriculum, which has been successfully launched in several universities in Israel, such as The Hebrew University of Jerusalem, Tel-Aviv University and Ben Gurion University. 

Adapted to suit Singapore’s context and needs, the course will be delivered by several GFI’s scientific experts alongside NTU faculty.

It will also feature seminars conducted by veterans from leading companies, providing students with industry insights and knowledge of the specific regulatory and business environment for this industry. 

As the instructors are based in different countries across the globe, the lectures will be delivered fully using e-learning tools via Microsoft Teams and Zoom. 

The team of educators aim to equip students with knowledge of the science, technology, advances and challenges facing the three alternative protein industry pillars of plant-based meat, eggs, and dairy, cultivated meat and fermentation. 

“With NTU’s deep expertise in food science and GFI’s extensive network of experts, our students will be able to benefit from a cutting-edge course on alternative meats delivered by an international panel of experts, which will stand them in good stead in the future job market,” Professor San added. 

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