History

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In September 1990, the Banat’s University of Agricultural Sciences organized the first admission session for a newly created section within the Biology Department of the Faculty of Agriculture – the section for Processing Technologies for Agricultural Products.

In 1992, this staff of this section was organized as a separate department: the Department V of the Faculty of Agriculture.

In 1995, by Order of the Minister of Education, the official act is issued which set up a new faculty within the University – the Faculty of Food Processing.

In June, the same year, the first generation of graduates received their diplomas and become engineers in the field of Food Engineering.

Starting with the academic year 1995/1996, the faculty was organized in three specializations:

Processing Technologies for Agricultural Products – the basis upon which the faculty was established – providing training for engineers competent in the exploitation of modern food processing systems: bakery and bread manufacture, meat and meat product processing, milk and dairy product processing, extraction and fermentation technologies.

Food Control – training engineers competent in assessing the quality of food products, food safety, authenticity and traceability in food-related areas.

Extracts and Natural Food Additives – training engineers whose technical specialization provides competency in the field of extracts and natural additives, increasingly recommended by FAO/OMS food organizations to replace synthetic additives, on environmental and consumer protection grounds in modern alimentary recepturs.

In 2004, as Deans Ionel Jianu mandate came to an end – the professor who created the higher education system in food engineering in our city – the faculty was organized in three departments and offered 5 year academic study programs, followed by two year master studies and the possibility of doctoral studies, as well as long distance studies, which have been provided since the academic year 2000/2001.

In 2004, Prof.Dr. Dorel Parvu became Dean of the faculty and initiated the process of rendering the curricula compatible with those suggested by the European Union, according to the Bologna Process. Thus, the bachelor cycle was reduced from 5 to 4 years, followed by 2 years postgraduate studies (master) and 3 years doctoral studies. Thereby, the European educational model was implemented according to the scheme: 4 + 2 + 3 years.

In 2008, Prof.Dr. Teodor-Ioan Trasca became dean of the faculty and his managerial team initiated the reorganization of the faculty, so that starting with the academic year 2008/2009, the faculty was organized in three departments – Food Technologies; Food Control and Expertise (C.E.A.); Chemical Engineering (I.C.) – and the academic year is divided according to a modular semester system.

In 2010, the first higher education institution in Romania organizing PhD studies in the field of Food Engineering is established at the faculty, with 3 PhD coordinators.

A new specialization has been provided by our faculty since 2012: Environmental and Consumer Protection, which trains engineers with skills in: analyzing raw food matter from fishing (seafood), hunted animal, wild flora (berries, mushrooms etc.); accomplishing legal requirements and international standards for environmental and consumer protection (ISO 14001:2004); designing and managing food processing technologies in compliance with legal requirements in the field of environmental protection.

At present, the faculty is accredited with all the four specializations it comprises, having also 6 master programs in the field of Food Engineering: Food Products Security and Biosecurity, Integrated Multifunctional Ecological Processing Systems of Bioactive Natural Principles, Advanced Processing Technologies for Agricultural Raw Materials, Food – Human Nutrition, Modern Techniques in Gastrotehnie and Catering, and a Master program in English, Food – Human Nutrition.

Starting from 2012, the leadership of the faculty is provide by Prof.Dr. Adrian Rivis and his team, who reorganized the faculty departments. Thus, starting with the academic year 2012/2013, the faculty is divided into three departments – Food Technologies, Food Control and Expertise, Food Science – and the academic year is divided into semesters.

At the same time, in order to be compatible with the European and national names, starting with 2018, the faculty is called the Faculty of Food Engineering.

An important activity that has already become a tradition within the faculty is the annual symposium "Food Science, Processes and Technologies: New Trends in Food Safety and Processing", respectively the International Conference of Food Chemistry, Engineering and Technology.

Since its establishment, the faculty has been led by the following management teams:

Deans:

2012 – present Prof.Dr.Eng. Adrian Rivis

2008 – 2012 Prof.Dr.Eng. Teodor – Ioan Trasca

2004 – 2008 Prof.Dr.Eng. Dorel Parvu

1995 – 2004 Prof.Dr.Eng. Ionel Jianu

1992 – 1995 Prof.Dr.Eng. Ionel Jianu – Department coordinator

1990 – 1992 Prof.Dr.Eng. Ionel Jianu – Specialization coordinator

Vice deans:

2016 – present Prof.Dr.Eng. Teodor - Ioan Trasca

2012 – present Prof.Dr.Eng. Nicoleta Hadaruga

2012 – 2016 Prof.Dr.Eng. Calin Jianu