The multidisciplinary preparation group consists of academic experts from the Faculty of Agriculture and Forestry at the University of Helsinki and the Ruralia Institute.
– I couldn't be more satisfied, as we now have comprehensive and in-depth expertise in the food sector within the preparation group. Our task is to develop a curriculum for Finland's future food export experts, which will be based on the training survey we have already conducted, explains the the project leader, University Lecturer Sari Ollila.
The group includes University Lecturers Hannele Kauppinen-Räisänen and Sami Koponen from the Department of Economics and Management, Senior University Lecturer Janna Pietikäinen from the Department of Forest Sciences, Professors Pekka Varmanen and Mari Sandell from the Department of Food and Nutrition, Professor Hanna Tuomisto from the Department of Agricultural Sciences, Professor Sami Kurki from the Ruralia Institute, and Associate Professor Angelina Korsunova-Tsaruk from the Department of Forest Sciences.
The chair of the preparation group is University Lecturer Sari Ollila from the Department of Food and Nutrition. The secretary of the group is Project Planner Laura Tikkanen.
The master's programme designers are currently building a partnership network and exploring the needs of various stakeholders for future food experts. To this end, they will be attending several events this autumn and visiting companies as well as higher education institutions.
You can chat with them and thus influence the future of the food industry, for example at the Food Days event in Seinäjoki from 16-18 September 2025 or at the Lahti Science Day on 13 November 2025, where Professor Juha Helenius from the University of Helsinki will give the opening speech for the food session titled "A Sustainable Food System in the Post-Fossil Economy."