Basque Culinary Center, along with the AZTI and NEIKER technology centres, present the world´s first PhD in gastronomy and reassert themselves as leaders in gastronomic research.

The PhD in Gastronomic Sciences will launch its first edition in 2020 with the aim of training researchers in the field of gastronomic sciences, creating and transferring knowledge to the different stakeholders that make up the value chain of food and gastronomy. Its launch responds to the Basque Culinary Center’s interest in helping students internalise and use research tools that are valid for moving the sector forward in any of its aspects.

As pointed out by the director of Basque Culinary Center, Joxe Mari Aizega, “from the beginning, we have seen ourselves as a driving force; as an active agent that promotes development and innovation in the gastronomy sector and combines nutrition, cuisine, service, business management and science, putting us at the forefront of research in gastronomy internationally. We think that there are many opportunities for research in gastronomy. That´s why we want to promote research, PhD theses and attract researchers from around the world”. Basque Culinary Center and the rest of the centres will take in the first doctoral students who will produce the first doctoral theses on gastronomy, after at least three years of research, related to any aspect of gastronomy and nutrition.

Bittor Oroz, the Basque Government's Deputy Minister for Agriculture, Fishing and Food Policy, stated: “Providing quality education in the value chain of Food is undoubtedly a key goal for the Basque Government. As a result the NEIKER and AZTI Technology centres will play a fundamental role; NEIKER thanks to its expert knowledge in the agricultural sector and AZTI in the field of nutrition. In this sense they complement the Basque Culinary Center's vision of gastronomy. All this with the aim of achieving an overall improvement of the competitiveness of all agents in the food chain.”

Three-way agreement

The PhD has materialised through a collaboration agreement made between three Basque technology centres: AZTI, NEIKER and BCC Innovation, the Basque Culinary Center's technological centre specialised in gastronomy, which will host and direct doctoral theses within the framework of their lines of research. The programme is part of the Basque Government's Strategic Food and Gastronomy Plan (PEGA in Spanish), and also includes the participation of the University of Copenhagen.

The PhD in Gastronomic Sciences lasts for three years if carried out full time, which can be extended by up to two additional years under exceptional circumstances, and five years if the process is completed on a part-time basis, which can be extended by up to three additional years under exceptional circumstances.

Research Groups

The programme includes two research teams, Food Science and Management, Society and Culture. The former pursues lines of research related to Sustainability, Sensory Analysis and Health (Personalised Gastronomy). The second, lines of research related to Society and Culture, and Gastronomy Business Management and Direction.

The PhD researchers who are members of the research teams are specialised in the combination of science and cuisine. They include profiles related to more scientific fields such as sensory analysis, or humanist fields, such as social sciences and management-related aspects.

Further details on: https://www.bculinary.com/en/doctorado