Food Engineering

Hi, I am Suzan Uzun, I returned to Turkey after completing my PhD in America in 2016. Since 2017, I have been working as a research assistant at Tekirdağ Namık Kemal University, Department of Food Engineering. Our department has been continuing its education and research operations with 40 years of experience since 1982. Students who are enrolled in our department take fundamental science courses such as Mathematics, Biology, Physics and Chemistry in the first years of their education. In the second year, our students take the fundamental engineering courses such as Fluid Mechanics, Mass and Energy Equivalences, Heat and Mass transfer. In the 3rd and 4th semesters, students take food microbiology, food safety, basic processes and technology and engineering design courses exclusive to the Department of Food Engineering. In addition to the elective courses of the discipline of Food Engineering, our students can also take social and cultural elective courses as a part of our program. The education provided in our department is application and laboratory based. There are 5 laboratories where our students carry out work for their undergraduate and postgraduate. These laboratories are the Food Microbiology, Physical and Chemical Analysis, Food Biotechnology, Instrumental Analysis and Research and Development Laboratories. Activities and meetings in the conference hall of our faculty are carried out by the Food Club in which are students are members of. Our conference room is frequently used by the Food Club. Our students have the opportunity to see and visit the food production facilities in our region with technical trips organized by the Food Club. Food Engineering Department students are obliged to do workplace internships at the end of the sixth semester, which is the summer semester of the 3rd grade. Our students can do internships mainly in the Trakya Region, Istanbul province and marmara region. Our students participate in internships at national and international, modern, advanced food companies, Ministry of Food Agriculture and Livestock units or private laboratories for 30 workdays. As professors, we help our students in finding a place to carry out their internships. In addition, we offer our Intern Engineering Education Program to the final semester students who are in their eighth semester. Within the scope of this program, students must participate 80 days of work as a food engineer candidate in advanced, modern, national and international food companies. We aim to enable students who are successful in the Intern Engineering Program to gain practical experience in the food sector and to get to know food companies closely. Our students carry out research studies within the scope of the Thesis Course in the last year. Students who want to can prepare and present projects to TUBITAK.
Erasmus, Farabi and Mevlana student exchange programs are operational for our department. Students in our department can apply to these programs to study and conduct research at both undergraduate and graduate level thanks to the bilateral agreements. As the Department of Food Engineering, we have contracts with 11 universities within the scope of Erasmus Plus Program. Some of these universities are located in Germany, Italy and Poland. We provide a good exchange opportunity for our students with this program. Our university, which has 40 years’ worth of experience, has held many conferences and symposiums. The most important of these symposiums is the “From the Adriatic to the Caucasus - Traditional Foods Symposium”, which we held in Tekirdağ in 2010. After Tekirdağ, we held this symposium in Macedonia, Bosnia and Northern Cyprus. In addition, our Department has organized thematic national symposiums in the field of food legislation, especially on milk technology and vegetable oil technology. Our graduates mainly find work in food companies operating in the food industry. They can also work as quality assurance officers, production managers, R&D employees, managers, sales and marketing specialists. They can also take part in research and supervision work in the Ministry of Food, Agriculture and Livestock. Candidates should definitely compare the quality of the universities and the laboratory infrastructure opportunities when choosing a university. As a department, we offer a great program with our great academicians and our laboratory infrastructure facilities. The fact that our faculty is located within an advanced campus offers students very high-quality options. In addition, we are close to the leading food industry organizations of our country and we are proudly implementing the Intern Engineering Program. Tekirdağ, where our university is located, is a modern coastal city and is located on the main commute routes. Our city, which is close to Istanbul, is located on the road to the Ipsala Border Crossing to Europe and the road to Izmır. Our university is a new and dynamic university. It has also developed rapidly and is developing day by day. Our students can benefit from the social, cultural, sports and health related benefits offered by our university during their time here. We welcome you, fellow students, to the Department of Food Engineering of Tekirdağ Namık Kemal University.