New Collaboration on Coffee Education Between the Zurich University of Applied Sciences and the Specialty Coffee Association

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The Zurich University of Applied Sciences (ZHAW), in collaboration with the Specialty Coffee Association (SCA), has launched a new postgraduate Certificate of Advanced Studies (CAS) in Coffee Excellence. 

Developed by researchers at ZHAW’s Coffee Excellence Center, the CAS in Coffee Excellence is a hybrid e-learning course designed to provide coffee professionals with a multidisciplinary overview of applied sciences within the academic world of specialty coffee. Sanremo Coffee Machines support this program and its content as research partners through the SCA’s Coffee Science Foundation.

The postgraduate Certificate of Advanced Studies in Coffee Excellence is a program comprised of four modules:  

  • The program’s first three modules are academic in focus and cover coffee production, processing, sensory, and consumption. These modules are delivered exclusively via distance learning and are student-paced.

  • The last module takes place in person at one of the SCA’s annual trade shows and is a five-day educational program during which students will attend daily lectures and workshops.

  • Completing all four modules takes approximately 12 months. Successful applicants earn 12 credits in the European Credit Transfer and Accumulation System (ECTS) and are awarded a “Certificate of Advanced Studies in Coffee Excellence” from ZHAW. 

“The SCA’s Coffee Skills Program (CSP), taught by hundreds of trainers around the globe, is the gold standard in specialty coffee skills-based education, a program known for training the coffee practitioner. This new postgraduate certificate at ZHAW gives companies the ability to offer their employees a unique opportunity to grow their coffee knowledge through an academically oriented program. This is the start of a broader goal for the SCA to work with multiple universities around the world to create a master’s program in specialty coffee,” says Yannis Apostolopoulos, Chief Executive Officer of the SCA.

“It is my honor to launch this new program in collaboration with the SCA, taught by leading researchers such as Dr. Sebastian Opitz, Dr. Samo Smrke, Dr. Marco Wellinger, and Dr. Sara Marquart. Students will also take part in guest lectures provided by experts from the coffee industry,” adds Dr. Chahan Yeretzian, Head of the Coffee Excellence Center at ZHAW.

Carlo De Sordi, CEO of Sanremo Coffee Machines, says, “We are very proud to be a part of this important project which will allow us to make our contribution to the improvement and evolution of the entire coffee industry. This partnership perfectly aligns with our corporate mission: to inspire in our unique style, all those who are passionate about coffee by providing innovative and quality equipment, and to give complete support to their profession by nurturing and promoting the art of coffee extraction.”

Applications are now open for the April 2021 intake of the CAS in Coffee Excellence. The class of April 2021 is limited to 50 students. The course is available to people with a university degree and at least two years of professional coffee or related field experience. Persons without a university degree but who have an SCA Coffee Skills Diploma and at least three years of professional experience may also apply. Good written and oral skills in English are required. 

Learn more about the CAS in Coffee Excellence here: http://bit.ly/SCA_ZHAW. 

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