It has been quite a while since I have written a post. I am very excited with two PhD students who are just starting their journey. Writing is quite a difficult task and needs many iterations. First draft is never the last, you edit and edit until you are happy. To get better at writing one has to write regularly; play with the language, ideas, and presentation. Have a chance to try different styles. So, that’s why I recommended both my PhD students to keep a research blog that we can read what is happening in their research journey. It does not have to be too long, but it is a snapshot of the efforts reflected on that day. As an encouragement to them, I am going to follow my advice and document the key highlights of the day when it comes to the two research projects I am involved with: SAFE-Q and U-TURN.

SAFE-Q is a research project on minimising waste in the food supply chain. There are many operational, supply chain related, and consumer related reasons why waste occurs in the food supply chain. SAFE-Q identifies those causes and interactions among them in the context of Qatar, a wealthy country in the Middle East that imports 90% of the food consumed.

U-TURN is another research project focusing on collaboration opportunities for food logistics in the cities. It investigates three major flows: from manufacturers to retailers; from farmers to retailers, restaurants, and consumers; from retailers to consumers in the form of online grocery orders that are fulfilled by home delivery or click & collect.

More on both to follow in the next few days.