FACULTY OF COMMODITY SCIENCE

The Poznań University of Economics was founded in 1926 as the Higher School of Commerce. In 1938 it was accredited awarded to issue academic degrees and renamed the University of Commerce.

Commodity science was taught and research work was done since the founding of the school. The school was nationalized in 1950, substantially reorganized and renamed the Higher School of Economics.

In 1974, the school was given the name of the University of Economics and it was accredited to confer the following degrees: PhD in economic science, doctor habilitatus of Economic Science and PhD in Commodity Science.

At the beginning of the 90’s, a fundamental restructuring and reorganization was performed on the faculties, courses, specializations and curricula. At present, the University of Economics contains five faculties:

– Faculty of Commodity Science,

– Faculty of Economics,

– Faculty of Informatics and Electronic Economy,

– Faculty of International Business and Economics,

– Faculty of Management.

Since 1994, the Faculty of Commodity Science has been the first, and so far the only, such university department in Poland, having full academic accreditation in the field of Commodity Science, and the rights to award the degrees of Doctor of Commodity Science, Doctor Habilitatus of Commodity Science and to promote professorships (scientific title).

The staff of the Faculty consists of 20 full-time pro­fessors, 16 assistant professors holding a PhD, and about the same number of instructors and 30 assistants.

The Faculty of Commodity Science at Poznań University of Economics is offering studies of a unique curriculum combining well-equilibriated knowledge in sciences and economics.

Such studies have been included at European universities and technical universities since the beginning of this century. An earlier version of this type of studies was drawn from Italy (under the name of “Merceologia”, which is present in the majority of universities in Italy), and is found in most countries of Central Europe, Japan, China, S. Korea. In some respects, these studies are similar in part to Home Economics, Household Technology, Consumer Studies etc., present in universities in the US and in most of the European Union.

The Faculty of Commodity Science at Poznań University of Economics is strictly directed towards education of specialists for an understanding of the role of good quality in the survival of mankind. With this aim, they are educated to be experts in enforcing Total Quality Control, emphasizing consumer and natural environmental–friendly products. Each second year we organize on International Conference in Commodity Science. The most recent “Quality for XXIst Centry” was held in September 2007. The next is being scheduled for September 2009.

The Faculty of Commodity Science is offering studies in the commodity science and in the production management and engineering with a highly-educated staff who specialize in the natural sciences (chemistry, biochemistry, microbiology) and technology, commodity science, modern analytical instrumental methods, economics, marketing, quality management, logistic systems, agribusiness and business activities.

General aim and scope:

Creation, protection, maintenance and assessment of good quality of commodities and services. Enforcement of good quality practice through “Total Product Quality Management”.

The Faculty of Commodity Science has been fully accredited to confer the following degrees:

PhD of Economics in the Commodity Science and

D.Sc. Doctor Habilitatus of Economics in Commodity Science.

Faculty members participate in joint research projects with:

1. Agricultural University in Wageningen (The Netherlands),

2. University of Trieste (Italy),

3. University of Trade and Economics in Kiev (Ukraine),

4. Fachhochschule Anhalt in Bernburg (Germany),

5. Wirtschaftsuniversität Wien (Austria),

6. University of Konstanz (Germany),

7. University of Maribor (Slovenia),

8. Renmin University of China in Beijing (China),

9. University of Enonomics in Varna (Bulgaria),

10. Lviv Commercial Academy (Ukraine)

11. Belarus State Economic University (Belarus)

Scientific activities

Scientific activities within commodity science concentrate on criteria and methods of quality evaluation of food and industrial market commodities, development of new analytical methods, standardization, enforcement of optimal quality of products and services, quality dependence on raw materials production, selection, storage, transportation and processing technology, products packaging, storage transportation and proper use by consumers, more concisely, quality on the industrial and consumer goods market.

Very special attention is paid to environmental issues, optimization of technology and storage, recycling technologies and minimization of wastes. Quality control and assessment, rights to certification according to EC criteria are pending. Basic research is being done on the properties of main components and their changes in industrial and food products under the influence of different factors.

Studies Specializations:

Studies in commodity science offer curricula in four main specializations:

- Creation and protection of quality industrial products,

- Creation and protection of quality food products,

- Agribusiness,

- Quality management,

- Product manager.

In all specialities, special attention is paid to the importance of natural environment protection issues. During the studies, some lectures are offered in foreign languages (mainly English).

Program of Education:

The program of education during the first two years of study is common to all specialisations.

Alumni of our Faculty are qualified to handle managerial posts in quality control and quality assurance, marketing (selling and purchasing), business process-engineering areas in companies.

The main challenges we are facing today are ecological catastrophe, exhaustion of non-renewable resources, misuse of all resources and human activities, and the importance of understanding the need of self limitation in production. The most important responsibility of the alumni of our Faculty is the promotion of quite a new economical policy, which should be both environmental al and consumer-friendly oriented.