Strategic Planning and Goals

The Strategic Planning of the School of Food and Nutritional Sciences has been formed through a rather long dialog amongst the Chairmen of its Departments and the Directors of its Laboratories and was finally approved by the Deanery of the School.

We would like to thank the Chairmen and Directors for their active participation and their suggestions. 

• Research Excellence and Production of New Knowledge within the AgriFood Sector

Strengthening our research competency through new academic assignments and funding from international programmes such as HORIZON 2020, 9th Program Framework, Regional Integrated Information System/RIIS, EIT Regional Innovation Scheme and national programmes such as EPAnEK - Business Program for Competitiveness, Research and Innovation will increase the influence of our School.

The expansion of the population of PhD Candidates in contemporary subjects treated by the Departments of our School, as well as the support of new researchers and postdoctoral researchers will strengthen our research culture and will create a series of talents.

The formation of new conditions within the AgriFood sector requires the development of new scientific-technological knowledge sets – related to eruptive technological revolutions mostly in the sectors of Web Technology, Bioinformatics, Molecular and Synthetic Biology, Telescopy, Cognitive Science, Mass Data Science, Network Science, Internet of Things, Genomics of Nutrients etc. – aiming solely at the promotion of sustainable development and food security.

The expansion of our research collaborations, both inside and outside the Agricultural University of Athens, will offer new perspectives and create new opportunities.

Participation at regional, national and international level will ensure the optimal impact of our intellectual resources on economic acceleration and social innovation in the country, with applied research and the development of innovative products or services having the dominant role in terms of utilizing the available financial sources.

The creation of National Institutes (e.g. Food Safety National Institute) in scientific sectors within which the School of Food and Nutritional Sciences and thus, the Agricultural University of Athens could stand out as metropolitan centres not only for scientists of South-Eastern Europe, but also of all Mediterranean countries.

• Providing modern, anthropocentric and high level education on both undergraduate and postgraduate level

The innovative design of our Undergraduate Curriculum and our Postgraduate Programmes, in combination with the technologically improved learning, will give recognition of the quality of the provided educational work. The use of new technologies in teaching, the improvement of the quality of the textbooks, the modernization of the content of the course outlines and the improvement of the conditions for the conduct of the laboratory exercises are our main strategic goals.

Substantial collaboration with undergraduate and graduate students will continually enhance teaching and learning, while fruitful dialogue with employers and professionals in the Food and Nutrition Industry will facilitate our response to the changing skills required by the environment.

The formulation of modern Postgraduate Programmes in both Greek and English, as well as the development of teaching excellence, will increase the levels of student satisfaction and will support the career expectations of teachers. Follow-up studies regarding the career and professional integration of our graduates - in collaboration with the University Career Office - will bring added value to employment prospects. Investing in digital technologies and new infrastructure will help us meet the high demand for educational work and adopt new pedagogical approaches.

• Promoting international cooperation and partnerships

Deepening our formal partnerships with distinguished European and international universities will strengthen networking and expand our influence. The co-organization of conferences and symposia, as well as the collaboration in the framework of joint research programs will offer opportunities for the promotion of the New Knowledge produced in our School. The formation of Cooperation Networks with the signing of a Memoranda of Understanding will ensure the utilization of high-cost experimental devices that are scattered, with the possibility of further utilization of their innovative results.

Increasing the mobility of teaching staff members and their intercultural support will contribute to increasing their international profile and expanding their research collaborations. Expanding opportunities for undergraduate and graduate mobility will help our students broaden their professional horizons in the global recruitment market and build future networks.

• Attracting and supporting the best students from different environments

Providing an integration environment that addresses the diverse support needs of the entire student population will help individual students reach their full potential. Working with the country's high schools to increase the expectations of talented young people and ensuring that they have the necessary knowledge and skills to benefit from our Undergraduate Program, will help us achieve the goal of expanded participation.

• Enhancing the studying experience in collaboration with an active student body

Cooperating with the Student Association will ensure that the student voice is heard during the decision-making process and that all students (undergraduate, postgraduate and PhD candidates) will receive high quality support and counseling services in order to develop their personal, professional and academic skills and participate in social, recreational and voluntary activities.

• Developing our logistics infrastructure and Information Technology in order to respond to changes in the volume and nature of our activities

In close cooperation with Local Government Organizations and the Ministry of Education, we will seek to develop our physical infrastructure to support the development of our research force, in order to meet the demand of future undergraduate and graduate students. The adoption of new digital technologies in all aspects of our activities will expand online and mixed learning, while the emphasis on the development of the "Knowledge Society" in the light of explosive technological revolutions in science, we hope will bring changes in technological social and economic data of the national AgriFood sector.

• Developing the ability of staff to achieve their goals and respond flexibly to changing needs

Recruiting young and inspired scientists in teaching and laboratory staff positions, providing the appropriate background so that they can realize their potential, as well as investing in the development of their leadership and management skills through seminars and special training, will help provide excellence.