[AODA members] Tufts Nutrition School Launches Graduate Program in UAE

[Elena Paravantes]

This may be of interest.


Elena Paravantes, RD


CR Greece


 


Tufts Nutrition School Launches Graduate Program in UAE


 


 





 





 

Newswise — The Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy at Tufts University announced today the establishment of a Master’s degree program in Nutrition Science and Policy in Ras al Khaimah, one of the United Arab Emirates. As part of the Friedman School's mission to advance the nutritional well-being of people worldwide through excellence in teaching and research, the Friedman School is partnering with the government of Ras Al Khaimah (RAK) to help the emirate position itself as a center for higher education in the entire Gulf region and beyond fulfilling the vision of His Highness Sheikh Saud Bin Saqr Al Qasimi, Crown Prince and Deputy Ruler of RAK. 

The graduate–level degree program will focus on nutrition science, policy and research tools, setting these concepts into the broad understanding of human biochemistry and physiology at each stage of the lifecycle. The program will be taught in a hybrid method of combined residency periods complemented by on-line instruction. Building on the Friedman School's joint emphasis on both science and policy, the degree adds a new focus on nutrition and public health issues and challenges in the Gulf, Middle East, North Africa and South Asia. 

“There are unique changes and challenges in the health and lifestyle of the citizens of the Middle Eastern countries.” Eileen Kennedy, D.Sc, Dean of the Friedman School. Over just the past two decades, the Gulf has enjoyed tremendous progress and development that has been accompanied by significant health issues in communities at risk for development of chronic disease related to changes in nutrition and physical activity. “We have a tremendous opportunity to participate in educating tomorrow’s nutrition leaders and policy-makers to the implications of nutrition’s linkage with wellness, quality of life, and the importance of factors that influence individual nutrition and healthy lifestyle behavior,” she added. 

Following the Friedman School’s tenet that nutrition affects whole populations and regions, the program will also extend into policy areas that affect nutrition and food security. The new degree will go beyond information and theory. Courses are being designed to include relevant regional examples and significant prescriptive and practical components. 

“One signature element of this Master's program will be an emphasis on providing students both with knowledge and nutrition research tools as well as the ability to apply what is learned to solving the nutrition and lifestyle related problems and challenges in the region,” said Lynne Ausman, DSc. Dr. Ausman is the Saqr bin Mohammed Al Qasimi Professor in International Nutrition and director of the new degree program.

A one-year academic program consisting of ten courses (six full courses and four half-courses) and a thesis conducted in three 13-week terms, students will spend a 10-14 day intensive residency period in Ras Al Khaimah (RAK), with the remainder of each course taught using the latest long distance learning methods and technologies. 

The Friedman School in RAK will have a competitive advantage over other graduate degree programs in several key aspects. Degrees from US universities have a high-perceived value, particularly for students from countries where there is a lack of highly qualified faculty teaching undergraduate and graduate degree programs. Many students have a desire not to travel from their homes for extended periods to study, with reasons varying from family and work obligations to political climates in Western Europe and the United States. For mid-career professionals, the opportunity to study while working and remaining with their families is a significant benefit.

The Gerald J. and Dorothy R. Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy at Tufts University is the only independent school of nutrition in the United States. The school’s eight centers, which focus on questions relating to famine, hunger, poverty, and communications, are renowned for the application of scientific research to national and international policy. For two decades, the Jean Mayer USDA Human Nutrition Research Center on Aging at Tufts University has studied the relationship between good nutrition and good health in aging populations. Tufts research scientists work with federal agencies to establish the USDA Dietary Guidelines, the Dietary Reference Intakes, and other significant public policies. 

 


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