IoPP-US Licenses Online Course to African Region
- Published: August 27, 2013
MILAN, ITALY | The Institute of Packaging Professionals-U.S. signed an agreement earlier this year with the Institute of Packaging Professionals-Kenya to license its new Fundamentals of Packaging Technology online course and make the comprehensive packaging training program available to IoPP members in Kenya, as well as other countries in the region. 
This educational program was introduced through the support of the African Packaging Organisation and the World Packaging Organisation educational network. Program funding was provided by corporate sponsors to offset costs for participating Kenyan students. Among the first to contribute funding to this program was trade show organizer IPACK-IMA.
Eleven students are now in the process of completing the program, including several from the Kenya Industrial Research and Development Institute (KIRDI). Reportedly, the KIRDI students agree they have gained a new perspective on packaging that will be able to demonstrate “an edge when it comes to packaging products.” They also emphasize that their newly acquired skills will provide KIRDI with a platform to develop and integrate packaging into its overall system.
Joseph Nyongesa, president, IoPP-Kenya, says the program is vital both globally and demographically. “This program will go a long way in lifting packaging standards in Kenya. I am also proud to announce that 40 percent of the participants are women. Empowering women is a major priority in Kenya, the UN, and around the world. I am positive that this will inspire and encourage other sponsors to participate in this program.”
Guido Corbella, CEO of IPACK-IMA, says, “By helping to educate the next generation of packaging professionals on a global level, IPACK-IMA is honored to support those in the program who will be extending their expertise through the development of advanced packaging technologies that will ensure regional food is kept healthy, safe, and plentiful. We are proud of the first round of students who are successfully completing [the course].”
These technologies will be displayed at East Afripack, Sept. 9–12, 2014, at the Kenyatta International Conference Centre, Nairobi, Kenya, a show dedicated to processing, packaging, and converting Technologies in the EAC area (Burundi, Kenya, Rwanda, Tanzania, Uganda). The international event is organized by IPACK-IMA in partnership with UN agency UNIDO, the East African Community and Kenya’s Ministry of Industrialization and Enterprise Development. It is said to provide an opportunity to meet with companies seeking technological upgrade in a rapidly expanding region where after-harvest food losses and the safe preservation of both food and non-food products pose a crucial challenge.
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