CHAIR OF FOOD STUDIES

As part of the academic and scientific cooperation between the Université Toulouse – Jean Jaurès (UT2J) and Taylor’s University (TU) in Kuala Lumpur, the two partners created a Chair of Food Studies in August 2012: Food, Cultures and Health, the holder of which is Professor Jean-Pierre Poulain, socio-anthropologist at UT2J (CERTOP UMR 5044). Find out more

OBJECTIVES

General Objectives

The Chair’s general objectives are to develop research programmes in the field of food, to increase the visibility of TU at an international level, to develop further academic cooperation with public universities around the world and to establish industrial partnerships.

Scientific Objectives

The Chair’s scientific objectives are mainly focused on the study of the transformation of food models. Malaysia offers an example of a nutritional transition, and a transition in eating habits. They also focus on the interactions between food models in relation to ethnic influences. In addition, they focus on understanding food crises and possible preventive measures. Lastly, they focus on food heritage and innovation and the process of “gastronomisation” (Poulain, 2012).

MALAYSIAN FOOD BAROMETER (MFB)

It is within this context that the first research programme run by the Chair was launched. The Malaysian Food Barometer (MFB) aims to study the evolution of the eating habits of Malaysians.

Developed in partnership with a public Malaysian university (UKM), the MFB has two main objectives: to describe the eating habits of Malaysians and to analyse them from the perspective of diversity in social status, ethnicity, gender and age groups. The two partners co-finance the MFB using their own resources, with participation from the Malaysian Ministry of Higher Education and the establishment of industrial partnerships.