Student testimonial
Sandra – Master Food Quality Management
When Sandra did her Bachelor’s (at the University of Applied Sciences in Den Bosch), she went on an excursion to Wageningen University and already knew by then that she wanted to pursue her academic career with a postgraduate degree there. After her undergraduate study, she first gained some work experience which helped in the decision-making.
No matter which department I interact with, I can always apply and deepen the knowledge I acquired
"After my Bachelor’s, I worked in a software company providing digital tools for food manufacturers and retailers – that’s when I developed an affinity for tech and I realized that an interdisciplinary approach, combining food and social sciences, would suit me best. As I am keen on contributing to digital transformation processes in the food industry, the specialization ‘Quality Management and Entrepreneurship’ was the perfect match. In addition to that, I liked the flexibility of tailoring the programme according to individual interests, in my case, to integrate principles of organisational development into the context of food quality management."
The programme
“Having worked in the industry in between, the set-up of the programme was ideal to bring students from different backgrounds to ‘speak the same language’ and to get back to thinking and working academically. The core part of the programme provides a profound comprehension of food quality and safety standards, as well as techniques and tools for designing, implementing and further developing an effective food safety and quality management system. For my electives, I chose courses in the field of food law and data science which go beyond the technical aspects of food production by encompassing policymaking and data-driven decision-making.
At this moment, I am doing my internship in the department International Quality Management and Services of an internationally operating food company producing and selling baking goods, desserts and snack products. There are plenty of challenges including regulatory, tech, and industry hurdles which require interdisciplinary teamwork and I truly enjoy the varied work. The internship connects extremely well to what I have learned and done so far: I work with all kinds of different departments, product development, food law, quality assurance, plus external stakeholders. No matter which department I’m interacting with, I can really apply and further develop the knowledge that I have gained before.”
The future
After the internship, Sandra will do her thesis, and thereupon she will graduate. She would like to do something like her current role. "I feel I’m in the right spot! I truly enjoy making sense of data and being the connective tissue between different departments. Aside from that, I like to find effective and somewhat creative solutions to complex issues in food quality and safety management."