International collaboration pushing the boundaries of science

Shakarim University hosted a substantive scientific meeting dedicated to modern trends in science, international research cooperation and innovative technologies in the food industry. Professor of Food Science and Nutrition at Iğdır University (Turkey), Dr. Duried Alwazeer, gave a lecture on the topic “Journey of Research, Collaboration, and Innovation”.

The event was attended by faculty and students of the university. Participants received up-to-date information about new technologies in the food industry and the possibilities of using molecular hydrogen in scientific and applied research.

Scientific approach at the intersection of technology and innovation

Professor Duried Alwazeer, is the head of the Center for the development, application and research of innovative food technologies at Iğdır University, as well as the founder and leader of the international research group “H2Team”.

Headed by a scientist, the international The research group considers molecular hydrogen (H₂) as a promising tool for solving various scientific and applied problems. The peculiarity of this direction lies in its interdisciplinary nature: research covers a wide range of issues - from food technology to agriculture, healthcare and environmental protection.

One of the key areas of the professor’s scientific research is the use of molecular hydrogen in the food industry. Within the framework of research, H₂ is considered as a factor that helps maintain product quality, manage oxidative processes and increase the efficiency of technological processes.

Another innovative area developed by the scientist is the technology of reducing atmosphere drying (RAD). This method is aimed at maximizing the possible preservation of the nutritional value and properties of products during the drying process.

In addition, the use of hydrogen-containing water in extraction processes is being explored, which makes it possible to increase the efficiency of extracting phenolic compounds and antioxidants from plant materials. A separate area is represented by the technology of reductive atmosphere packaging (RAP), considered as a promising way to extend the shelf life of food products without the use of synthetic preservatives.

Agro-industrial waste - a new resource for research

One of the important tasks of the modern food industry is to reduce the volume of waste generated during the production process and their return to economic circulation.

In this context, the scientific research of Professor Duried Alwazeer closely overlaps with the research directions of Shakarim University. In joint scientific work of the two universities, special attention is paid to the transformation of agro-industrial waste into products with high added value.

This direction is known in the scientific literature as “valorization”. Its essence lies in the extraction of valuable biologically active components from raw materials, previously considered as waste, and their subsequent use to create products in the food, pharmaceutical, cosmetic and other industries.

The relevance of such research lies simultaneously in solving environmental and economic problems: on the one hand, the volume of agro-industrial waste is reduced, and on the other, opportunities are opened for the reuse of the valuable biological components contained in them.

International scientific research network

One of the most important indicators of international cooperation is joint scientific publications. As part of the collaboration between scientists from Iğdır University and Shakarim University, eight joint scientific publications have been prepared.

Most of the research is devoted to the effective use of grape waste. Five works are directly related to this area. The remaining research covers issues of human nutrition, extraction of beneficial compounds from plant materials, including mint, as well as valorization of biomass.

Thus, international cooperation goes beyond the scope of scientific exchange and is gradually forming into a systemic partnership based on joint research and scientific publications.

A distinctive feature of the activities of H2Team under the leadership of Professor Duried Alwazeer is its pronounced international character. Scientific cooperation brings together researchers from Turkey, France, Kazakhstan, the USA, China, Canada, Great Britain and other countries.

Research on molecular hydrogen is also not limited to one scientific discipline. Within this direction, food science and technology, nutritional science, agriculture, biotechnology, veterinary medicine, medicine, biochemistry, pharmacology and sports medicine intersect.

It is the interdisciplinary approach that allows one to consider one scientific problem from different angles and fully reveal its technological and practical potential.

Cooperation between the two universities is implemented within the framework of the national scientific program, funded by the Science Committee of the Ministry of Science and Higher Education education of the Republic of Kazakhstan. This indicates that international scientific partnership has a specific institutional basis and is developing within the framework of systematic research work.

New horizons of scientific research

Today, cooperation between Iğdır University and Shakarim University is becoming sustainable. The experience of one party in the field of molecular hydrogen and innovative food technologies is combined with the competencies of the other in the field of food engineering and the effective use of biomass, creating the basis for new scientific research.

For Shakarim University, such cooperation is not only an opportunity for integration into the international scientific space, but also a promising tool for solving pressing problems of the agro-industrial complex and the food industry of the region through science and innovation.

Modern science is not limited to laboratory research. Its results should find practical application - turn into new technologies, production solutions and products that are in demand by society.

Professor Duried Alwazeer’s lecture at Shakarim University became not only a platform for the exchange of scientific ideas and experience, but also an important step towards new joint projects, international research and innovative solutions.