Following a 2015 site visit to Wroclaw University of Environmental and Life Sciences (WUELS) in Poland, led by Dr. Jack Koziel, a former Iowa State University (ISU) professor in Agricultural and Biosystems Engineering, a scholarly exchange agreement was established between WUELS and Iowa State University. This partnership has since supported academic collaboration and student mobility between the two institutions.
WUELS is a public university offering undergraduate and postgraduate programs across 28 fields within five academic divisions: Biology and Animal Science; Biotechnology and Food Science; Environmental Engineering and Geodesy; Veterinary Medicine; and Life Sciences and Technology.
As part of this ongoing collaboration, Dr. Małgorzata Korzeniowska from the Department of Functional Food Products Development at WUELS visited Iowa State University through the European Union’s Erasmus+ Mobility Program. Erasmus+, the EU’s flagship initiative for education, training, youth, and sport, provides funding to support international study, teaching, training, and institutional partnerships.
The primary goal of Dr. Korzeniowska’s visit was to engage with Iowa State students and share insights that would expand their knowledge and skills in food technology. Her presentations emphasized emerging trends in food development, responses to environmental challenges, innovative food science and technology approaches, and the valorization of plant and animal processing side-streams into value-added products. She also highlighted the role of sensory marketing in consumer-focused product development. During her visit, Dr. Korzeniowska was hosted by Dr. Buddhi Lamsal from the Department of Food Science and Human Nutrition.
An Associate Professor, Dr. Korzeniowska, has served as Head of the Department of Functional Food Products Development since 2021. Her research focuses on the oxidation of meat components, including lipids and proteins; the role of natural antioxidants in animal muscle tissues; fermentation-based valorization of side streams; and the use of food by-products in developing innovative meat products. Her work also emphasizes sensory quality and consumer acceptance.
To date, five students from the College of Agriculture and Life Sciences (CALS) at Iowa State have participated in semester-long study abroad programs at WUELS. In return, Iowa State hosted four students from WUELS.
Looking ahead, Dr. Buddhi Lamsal will visit WUELS and the University Miguel Hernández de Elche in Alicante, Spain, from July 17–29, 2026. This visit aims to explore opportunities for future study abroad programs, short-term travel courses, and expanded student exchanges, particularly in food science and biotechnology.
During his time in Spain, Dr. Lamsal will participate in a student conference as an external professor within a double master’s program jointly offered by the University Miguel Hernández de Elche and WUELS. He will also meet with students, PhD candidates, academic staff, and deans from the Faculty of Biotechnology and Food Science at WUELS. The visit will include gaining insight into research facilities, educational programs, and exchange opportunities, as well as delivering seminars and training sessions for students.