Statement of Purpose for The Master of Food Safety

Dear Committee,

Allow me first, to express my deepest gratitude to American University of Beirut for allowing
me to take part in the selection process. I am Kelali Mehari, a fresh graduate from Haramaya
University Ethiopia. Herewith, I would like to request your kind permission as to request a
review and further assessment for myself to be considered as a student for a Master’s degree in
American University of Beirut Kindly allow me to briefly elaborate the reasoning of my request.

I am a graduate of Haramaya University, Ethiopia holding a degree in Food Science &

postharvest technology, with the very great distinction by winning a Gold medal from Haramaya
Institute of Technology with CGPA of 3.94/4.00. I joined the department in october 2014 as
undergraduate student. This is because I am very interested in the field of study. I grown in
scenery of the country where many Agricultural food products are produced, but due to shortage
of technological advance, almost sixty percent of the products are lost annually. The people
could not get good quality, healthy, safety and nutritional food. The way of handling products,
processing, keeping the quality, marketing, nutritional value and safety maintaining is too poor.
Due to these, the country has fallen in the problem of famine, as their eating diversification even
is traditional dependent rather than technological innovation. Different age groups could not get
diet of their interest with good quality; safety and shelf life because of food processors are not as
such trained in this area. All these situations make me wholehearted to change the problem of
Food Chains and Development, Food Science & Technology, Nutrition and security and Post
harvest Technology by studying further in the field.
During my study of Bachelor of Science (BSc.), I used to make a group and discuss on how to
discharge the knowledge we got on the area of Food Science and Technology and Food Security.
I believe that before implementing a technology, trained individuals in an area is imperative and
that is why I have been working hard with the aim of being one of the department’s assistant in
educating people in this professional area. Fortunately soon after graduation, I recurited by
Haramaya University as Graduate assistant on September 14, 2017/18, because I fulfilled all the
requirements of academic excellence and language proficiency. Since I became a collaborator in
the department, I have been teaching undergraduate students the courses like Food Quality
control, Assurance & Legislation, Unit Operation in Food Processing, Principles of Food
Processing and Preservation, Beverages processing Technology,Suger processing Technology,
Food Drying Technology, and assisting laboratory practical works. Besides these extracurricular,
I have been coordinating the students in visiting the near by located food industries to depict
them for the practical aspects too. These all exposures instigated me to broaden my scope in the
Food Technology of study in Master of Science. The juvenile department of Food Science and
Post harvest Technology, being young and having a shortage of skilled individuals in the area
(especially in Food Security) need trained manpower to meet its mission for implementing the
Science and Technology of food which is the burning issue of the country’s policy entitled as
‘Agriculture-Led-Industrialization’.

In my university years, I was active in my program. I was an assistant for food processing
engineering and agricultural product quality evaluation and learnt the basics of food processing
along with skills to review and measure the properties and quality of food. I learnt further when I
did an internship for one of Ethiopia ’s biggest research institutes, Ethiopian Coffee and Cacao
Research Institute, working in the product process and quality department. Working with this
institution has given me many important insights on the importance of delivering high-quality
food. This was very rewarding as it led me to gain a grant for my final research entitled Quality
of bread from composite flour on sorghum and hard white winter wheat & “Process Analysis of
Sorghum Crackers Drainage Using Hybrid Type Dryer with Energy Sourced from Solar Light
and Biomass”. This research aimed to improve the quality of drainage food product properties
and the potential to produce best quality food based on local resources.

Co-operation and mobility programmed in the field of higher education, which promotes the
Beirut as a center of excellence in learning to which I am applying is very appreciated by your
courses and manner of offering detailed knowledge. I preferred this programme to study Master
of Science in Food Safety to broaden my knowledge in the area at American University of Beirut
from which is a very known and among leading higher and international institution especially in
area of technological innovations. My study duration at the American University of Beirut will
believingly provide me with the experience of European culture and I will introduce their
interesting customs to my home country.
I’m interested in studying food production processes as an integrated system and their relation to
the legal, economic, risk management and communication aspect of food safety. I consider that I
can get valuable knowledge about the determinant factor of sustainable development. And I also
believe the course will give me the opportunity to deepen my knowledge about legal and policy
aspects.

This Master course offers everything I need to become an expert in Food Safety .The program is
taught through collaboration between academics with world-class expertise in diverse aspects of
food safety and gives students an opportunity to learn about a wide range of problems in food
safety and their application. Furthermore, the outline of this program provides a balance between
technical analysis including microbiology and toxicology, and food policy framework. Also, the
master course offers broad specializations, such as applied food safety, food safety law, and
supply chain safety.

The field for which I am applying is directly related with my professional experience. I have held
my BSc. degree which is almost the same field (Food Science and Post Harvest Technology) and
have been dwelling and working with it up to now which had broaden my scope of interest in the
area. I am factual that I will successfully complete my Master of Science study without any
difficulty and impenetrability. I consider myself a good candidate for this scholarship because I
am young, energetic, hardworking, intelligent, visionary and motivated person who believe that I
can do something for the benefit of my country to which I have been working.

Sincerely,

Kelali Mehari Araya