Personal Statement
Program Applied: Food Chemistry & Engineering

“It is never too much to make the food delicious to eat and to mince the meat in a most exquisite manner.” This is what China’s ancient philosopher Confucius had to comment 2000 years ago on the pristine form of food engineering. In the recorded history of two to three thousand years, China developed the world’s most comprehensive and most fascinating culinary legacy. However, in the modern period, on account of China’s limited research capacity in food chemistry and biochemistry, the level of food processing has obviously lagged behind that of western countries. As a Bachelor of Engineering from the Department of Food Science and Engineering of XX University, I would frequently feel a strong sense of responsibility whenever I hear of the aborted exportation of China’s agricultural and sideline products due to quarantine problems, or the incredible discrepancy between China’s huge food productivity and its international market share. With the lapse of time, this sense of responsibility has evolved into a determination to pursue a Master’s program in a prestigious overseas university where I can acquire high-level knowledge, both theoretical and technological, of food chemistry and biochemistry.

A careful comparative study of many universities that offer programs in my proposed field has brought me to prioritize on your esteemed university, which fascinates me with its outstanding research strengths and its high-quality education by accomplished professors. By consulting relevant technical literature in food science and soliciting opinions from food chemists in my own country who are well-informed of international academia, I have decided to make your university my sole choice. Of course, I am well aware that, to be admitted into such a renowned university as yours, I am bound to face fierce competitions. Yet, my sound and comprehensive academic background in my chosen field, my dexterous chemical experimental skills, and independent research capacity endows me with full confidence to stand up to those competitions.

Academically, the College of Economic Technology, XX University, enjoys considerable reputation in China’s tobacco industry and its curriculum features comprehensive professional training in food chemistry. The curriculum lays special emphasis on the establishment of a solid groundwork across diverse fields, ranging from food chemistry, food processing, food bioengineering, to food quality analysis. Whether in classroom instructions or in trainings of experimental skills, our teachers all endeavored to cultivate in us a deep understanding of the knowledge of food chemistry through the analysis and elaborations on tobacco as a special food. Meanwhile, our college exposed us to various practical opportunities to participate in the research, production and inspection of various types of foods. Thus, the graduates in tobacco specialty can not only find employment with major tobacco manufacturers across the country, but also with general food science and research institutes as well as with enterprises engaged in fine chemical engineering production.

While paying special attention to developing students’ specialized knowledge, our College also requires students to be academically rigorous and competition-conscious. Under the stringent grading system of our university, it was not easy to achieve high scores unless one works hard. Therefore I was always the last to leave library every evening and for four years of my undergraduate program I ranked among the top few in my class (my overall average score is 81/100), winning scholarship at departmental level each year, including one scholarship for “Outstanding Score”. It is safe for me to say that I have laid a sound theoretical foundation in food chemistry.

If coursework required me of tremendous efforts, chemical experiments was a constant source of joy for me. In connection with my coursework in Tobacco Raw Material, Tobacco Smoke Chemistry, and Surface Active Agents, I not only completed all the required subjects of experiment but also took an active part in relevant research programs of the university by undertaking some experiment operations. Although I was paid very little for the limited funding of those programs, it was a great satisfaction to observe the magic processes of chemical reactions and I was able to accumulate considerable practical experience in the selection of chemicals for experiments and in the control of experiment conditions. My significant improvement in hands-on abilities helped me excel most of my classmates.

Due to my distinguished academic and experimental performance, I came to the attention of our College’s food chemist and when I started to do my graduation project I was admitted into a research project undertaken by our university “The Reduction of Overall Volatilizable Aldehyde in Main Smoke”, which was the first of its kind in our country. By consulting a considerable amount of technical literature by international research institutes and universities, we applied different kinds of derivative chitosan and other new types of additives to add into the filter. We also adopted colotimetry to determine the concentration of the overall volatilizable aldehyde in the smoke and proved by large amount of data that chitosan can play important effect in reducing the aldehydes. Based on those research findings, I completed my thesis entitled Decreasing Overall Volatilizable Aldehyde (Acetaldehydes) by Adding New Types of Additives, winning positive comments from the Academic Evaluation Panel of the College. With its original concepts, substantial data and rigorous elaboration, my graduation project was rated “Excellent”.

My important performance in the research project impressed my advisor, who considered me to be of sound potential in food chemistry. Considering the inadequate research conditions and limited research level, my advisor strongly urges me to pursue much advanced education abroad and has warmly recommended your university.

I understand that applying for your Master’s program is both an important challenge and an important opportunity. I will be exposed to many world-renowned scholars and to the most updated knowledge and technology. I will be able to assimilate those concepts and methodologies different from those of my own country. I plan to attend a variety of taught courses to enrich my theoretical buildup. Meanwhile, I will avail myself of your rich educational and research resources, including reading much technical literature and extensively attending academic conferences. I will also continue to improve my experimental skills. Finally, by combining theory with practice, I will choose a meaningful project to work on to achieve some possible academic breakthroughs. It is my conviction that your program will develop me into a successful food engineer.