The University of Helsinki is offering two free, English-language pilot courses in food business and gastronomy. Open to everyone, the courses combine online teaching with recorded content, allowing participants to attend live or study afterwards.

Sustainable Gastronomy, running from 27 October to 23 November 2026, is led by Silvia Gaiani, Senior Researcher at the university’s Ruralia Institute. It examines food systems from a Nordic perspective, covering culinary cultures, resource management, innovation, sustainable restaurant operations, menu development and storytelling.

The course includes four 90-minute live lectures, eight 45-minute recorded sessions and a closing panel. Recorded material also explores food tourism, Finnish culinary traditions and Ukrainian gastronomic culture.

International Food Market: Marketing and Management Perspectives will take place on 24–26 November and 1–3 December 2026. Led by Dr Kaisamaija Välimäki, it comprises six two-hour lectures and a concluding panel, addressing international expansion, supply-chain management, marketing, sustainability and technology.

Participants may attend selected lectures, and recordings will be available to registered learners. Participation does not require applying to a degree programme.

The courses preview the university’s forthcoming Master’s Programme in International Food Business and Gastronomy, which begins in August 2027. Applications for the master’s programme will be open from 5 to 19 January 2027.

Further information and registration links are available in the official University of Helsinki announcement.