Previous Summer Schools and Locations

2024 USA, organized by Pennsylvania State Univeristy (PennState) 

 

2023 AUSTRIA,organized by Graz University of Technology (TU Graz)

2022 USA, organized by organized by California State University (Fresno State)  

 

2021, COVID

 

2020, COVID

2019 USA, organized by University of Arkansas 

 

2017 AUSTRIA, organized by Graz University of Technology (TU Graz) 

 

International participants from

►USA ►Belgium ►Switzerland ► France ► Estonia  ►Austria

 

 

Summer School 2024

In summer 2024, five students from TU Graz—Christina Mühlthaler, Lisa Eiber, Niklas Pontesegger, Lara Stef, and Markus Windisch—participated in a two-week summer school at Penn State University, USA.

The program began in Washington, D.C., where they joined students from Penn State, Fresno University, and the University of Arkansas. The agenda included sightseeing highlights such as the Capitol, museum visits, and a social "come together" event. A visit to the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) provided additional insights into the U.S. regulatory landscape.

The group also had the opportunity to visit Restek, a company renowned for its expertise in analytical chemistry, where they gained valuable insights into the application of scientific analysis in the industry.

Next, the group traveled to the Hershey Company, exploring the Technical Center and enjoying time at Hersheypark. The focus then shifted to Penn State University, where the theme revolved around chocolate—“from the bean to the bar.” The students crafted their own chocolate and ice cream while performing various sensory analyses, such as tasting and aroma evaluations.

The Austrian participants also got a taste of American student life, including celebrating the Fourth of July (Independence Day).

This summer school provided not only a cultural exchange but also academic enrichment, particularly in understanding differences between chemical analysis techniques in the USA and Europe. The program was a memorable experience that combined education, culture, and new perspectives.

Summer School 2019

The summer school on “Food Science and Culinary Arts – from Field to Meal” was held at our institute for the second time in cooperation with the University of Arkansas. Together with 10 participants from different countries, four students from our institute learned about food production including food safety and food processing. The program started on the 7th of July with a welcome reception, a city tour through Graz and a cultural awareness session. We spent the second day at our institute to learn about the scientific background on food production. The program for the rest of the week started with an excursion to Silberberg with a workshop on juice, nectar and syrup production, in the afternoon we visited the pumpkin seed oil producer Hartlieb. The next day was spent at a local butcher where we produced our own sausages for BBQ. The following day included excursion to wine producers and wine tasting. Although Friday was free for our own plans, we organized a trip to the Zotter chocolate factory. On Saturday, we had a beer brewing course at Anton Paar. Different beers and hop qualities were then analysed on Monday in the labs at our institute. On Tuesday, we learned about food trends with Hanni Rützler, a foodtrend expert, nutritionist and health psychologist. The next day included excursions to Kollmann´s vegetable farm in Graz and to an apple wine producer. Thursday, we went to Fink-Haberls delis to produce our own pickles and chutneys. On the last day, we had a final cooking event with chef Johann Reisinger where we prepared a several course meal, based on a zero waste concept. In the following gallery you can find impressions from the event.

Summer School 2017

Starting from the 9th of July we had the pleasure to host the first edition of a summer school in cooperation with the University of Arkansas. The 15 participants from five different countries stayed in Graz for two weeks and got to learn about different topics in connection with the topic ‘Food Science and Culinary Arts to Maximize Food Quality’. The speakers gave their presentations in the morning sessions. After a lunch break the participants got the opportunity to visit a lot of different Styrian companies that either produce or work with food. In the following gallery you can find a few impressions form the event. 

Additional links

  • Summer School 2022 in Fresno - acfc
  • Summer School 2019 in Graz - acfc
  • Summer School 2017 in Graz - acfc
  • Summer School 2017 in Graz - U of A