Packaging educator Pierre Pienaar has been given an Honorary Professorship by a leading Beijing university.
The education director of the Australian Institute of Packaging (AIP) and vice president of education at the World Packaging Organisation (WPO) was awarded the honour by the Beijing Institute of Graphic Communication at a ceremony earlier this month.
Pienaar, a lecturer in packaging technology at the university, told PKN he was “not expecting” such accolades, but was given them in recognition of his qualifications and contribution to education in the field.
“It's also an acknowledgment of the packaging-related papers I've written and the international conferences I've been a part of,” he said.
“You could say I've played a role in bringing packaging education to China – something not everyone is prepared to do.”
Pienaar's influence doesn't stop at China. He has also visited Africa – specifically Nigeria, Ghana, Tanzania and Kenya – Vietnam, Indonesia, Singapore, the Philippines, and Thailand to lecture.
In his role as WPO vice president of education, he has emphasised the importance of “bringing education to those who haven't had the privelige of receiving it”.
“The majority of countries we bring education to are developing countries,” he said.
“Later in 2016 we are planning a trip to Iran for the first time.”
The WPO provides week-long intensive training courses, and Pienaar visits universities to teach for a semester at a time.
The focus of the lectures will depend on the needs of the country. Some might benefit from a food industry focus while others might need intensive training in packaging technology.
On a personal level, Pienaar has been involved in education since 2000, and was trained and strongly influenced by packaging and food technology specialist, Professor Harry Lovell.
“I don't want to reach a stage where I'm not involved or not sharing knowledge with someone,” Pienaar said.
“From an AIP perspective, international education enables us to grow the institute and the industry on a global scale.
“China has so much to offer the packaging community in packaging research and the development of innovative packaging ideas.
“I'm able to bring back what I've learnt and integrate it into the AIP system.”
Both the AIP and the WPO will continue to collaborate with the Chinese packaging community, specifically within packaging education and the cultivation of packaging talent among aspiring students.
