University of Gastronomic Science of Pollenzo

Introduction
Campus Features
Gallery
Scholarships and Funding
Campus Life & Facilities
Locations
Programs

Introduction

UNISG provides a unique approach to food studies, integrating science, culture, ethics, and sustainability into a comprehensive curriculum. This approach prepares students to become future food professionals.

At UNISG, education goes beyond traditional boundaries, highlighting the intricate interconnections between food production, distribution, and consumption. Hands-on learning experiences - such as global study trips, sensory analysis labs, and collaborative research projects - enable students to deeply understand the global food system and its challenges.

UNISG equips its students with the knowledge and skills necessary to contribute significantly to the food sector. It also fosters a diverse international environment by attracting students worldwide, which international environment by attracting students worldwide, which enhances the academic experience with varied perspectives on food culture and policy.

Aside from its academic offerings, UNISG is deeply invested in impactful research that addresses critical issues within the food sector. Leveraging its expertise and resources, the university influences the food industry by providing valuable insights through its Food Industry Monitor, a research project that analyzes trends and dynamics within the food and beverage market. Complementing its industry-focused research, UNISG is also committed to environmental stewardship and the preservation of agrobiodiversity. The university spearheads and collaborates on various projects aimed at enhancing biodiversity within agricultural enterprises. These initiatives often involve the study and promotion of local and heirloom varieties, sustainable agricultural practices, and the conservation of ecosystems that support food production.

For aspiring gastronomes seeking to transform their passion for food into a purposeful career, UNISG represents a matchless educational institution. It not only educates but also inspires its students to envision and work towards a future where food is good, clean, and fair for all.

History & Mission

The University of Gastronomic Sciences, founded in 2004 by the international non-profit association Slow Food in cooperation with the Italian regions of Piedmont and Emilia-Romagna, is a government-recognized, private non-profit institution.

Its goal is to create an international research and education center for those working on renewing farming methods, protecting biodiversity, and building an organic relationship between gastronomy and agricultural science.

Campus Features

The UNISG is located in the complex called the Pollenzo Agency, commissioned by King Carlo Alberto of Savoy in 1832. Fourteen farmhouses were built, the Agency building, the tower overlooking the church square, and finally the neo-Gothic parish of San Vittore.

The economic and financial center of the Pollentina estate was the Agency which, in the intentions of King Carlo Alberto, would become a model farm where to conduct experiments to improve the profitability of agricultural activities. The Carloalbertine imprint has survived to this day, distinguishing its architecture, colors, and urban structure.

Today the Pollenzo Agency complex is a UNESCO World Heritage Site – “Savoy Residences”.

Sensory Analysis Lab

The Sensory Analysis and Consumer Science Laboratory is dedicated to Training, Research, and Third Mission activities.

The structure hosts the practical exercises provided for in the Sensory Analysis and Consumer Science courses dedicated to all students enrolled in the university’s three-year, master’s, and master’s degree courses. During the practical activities, students learn the main sensory analysis techniques applied to food and beverages, to compare and evaluate the food quality and their modifications during storage. Furthermore, the Laboratory is frequently used by students for thesis projects that envisage a part related to the study of sensory perception. Furthermore, students frequently participate voluntarily in the various research projects in which the Laboratory staff is engaged.

Pollenzo Food Lab

The Pollenzo Food Lab of the University of Gastronomic Sciences is a laboratory dedicated to the study and applied research of gastronomic transformations. It deals with training – for example, it designs and manages the Master of Applied Gastronomy: Culinary Arts – academic research, consultancy for companies, and a third mission.

The Wine Bank

The Wine Bank (Banca del Vino) has a long-standing collaboration with the University of Gastronomic Sciences. The Wine Bank organizes and hosts workshops and wine tastings for the students, and offers team-building exercises and other events that relate to the world of wine.

Library & Study Room

The UNISG library in Pollenzo opened in 2004 to support the university’s students and, through its extensive collection of books and journals, to serve as a resource for ongoing gastronomic research.

Gallery

Scholarships and Funding

Italian Students

Number of fee exemptions	Fee exemption amount in Euros	Income (ISEE) and property (ISPE) for submitting the scholarship application in Euros
ISEE (income)	ISPE (property)
1	€ 15.500 (total fee exemption) plus student housing and lunch at the Academic Tables	≤ 26.306	≤ 57.188
3	10.000	≤ 36.600	≤ 76.200
5	5.000	≤ 42.800	≤ 78.000

Non-Italian Students

Who can apply for the scholarship	Number of fee exemptions	Fee exemption amount in Euros	Income (ISEE) and property (ISPE) for submitting the scholarship application in Euros
ISEE (income)	ISPE (property)
Non-Italian citizens from low income countries or lower middle income or upper middle-income countries according to the World Bank	5	€ 15.500 (total fee exemption) plus student housing and lunch at the Academic Tables	≤ 26.306	≤ 57.188
All non-Italian citizens	5	10.000	≤ 36.600	≤ 76.200
All non-Italian citizens	2	5.000	≤ 42.800	≤ 78.000

Students can apply if:

they have applied during the first or second admission session (March or May 2024)
have been admitted to the first year of the Degree Course for the 2024/2025 a.y. with a minimum admission score of 70/100
their ISEE (income)/ISPE (property) amounts do not exceed the limits indicated in the table

Scholarship Application Deadline: May 21, 2024

Since 2004, more than 260 students from 40 countries have benefitted from the scholarships offered by the University of Gastronomic Sciences.

Over the years UNISG has invested over 9.5 million euros in scholarships, an effort that underlines the university’s commitment to placing the values of Merit and the Right to Education before geographical origin, social extraction, and economic possibilities of the students.

Businesses, organizations, and foundations have contributed over €3 million to the fund, investing in the education of a new generation of Gastronomes who can play an active, leading role in the local development of their home countries and bring about cultural and political change through food.

Campus Life & Facilities

Unisg Study Trips

Study trips at UNISG are learning tools that give students unique access to knowledge about the world’s gastronomic cultures.

The focal points during these travels revolve around comparisons between opposites: of scale and geography (small-scale versus industrial, rural versus urban) and production (new trends and mass production methods versus artisanal traditions).

Students Associations

The ASSG – Associazione Studenti di Scienze Gastronomiche (Gastronomic Sciences Student Association) in a nutshell aims to improve the quality of life on campus (i.e. Pollenzo and Bra) for all students at UNISG. At the moment this is achieved through the organization of events and activities, providing unique services such as housing, as well as requesting special student discounts.

Local – Our Food Store

Inspired by Carlo Petrini’s desire to see food shops brought back to historic town centers, the idea of Local took shape in collaboration with the UNISG students on the Systemic Food Design course: a project to encourage small-scale retail and a place for everyday shopping that offers a well-thought-out selection of local products and recognizes the value of artisanal producers.

Behind the counter, welcoming customers and offering advice and tastings, are two former students, gastronomes putting into practice what they studied in lectures and learned on study trips around the world.

Life in Bra

The University of Gastronomic Sciences is based in Pollenzo, a small town in the city of Bra, located about 6 km outside of the city center and served by a bus service. The presence of our students in Bra has created an international ambiance in the city, and student life between Bra and Pollenzo can be very busy thanks to the variety of activities organized by the student community.