Name: Semeli Papaioannou (female)
Nationality: Greek
Year of birth: 1982
Edudation and work experience:
• MSc Food Technology - Product Design, Wageningen UR
• Degree of Chemistry, two courses of Food Chemistry and Technology
Knowledge of languages:
Greek (mother tongue), Enlish and French
Personal note:
The main reason I wanted to study abroad was the invaluable experience to be gained from living in a foreign country and exchanging experiences with people from other cultures. I also wanted to learn new ways of working and dealing with research problems.
The Netherlands seemed the ideal destination because, apart from being pioneers in the food technology domain, the country offers a unique multicultural environment that is hard to find in other countries. Product Design was the specialization of my choice, as it combines both the technological aspects of product development and the incorporation of consumer demands. It is a more creative expression of Chemistry, the subject that I studied in my home country.
I joined the Food Valley Ambassador program because it offered me the opportunity to become a member of a worldwide network and to work on a research project for the duration of my year-long internship. Gaining this experience will help me when I am looking for a job because I will have better insight into how companies work. Moreover, I will meet people from other companies in the Food Valley network and work on my personal development through the Ambassador program which will prove to be ideal preparation for my future career.