Our last 60 second interview concentrated on food and nutrition and this one has a different take on the same subject. KTP – Knowledge Transfer Partnerships – are an increasingly important part of RGU’s engagement with the business community.
Name: Dilara Okut
Job Title: KTP Associate/Food Scientist
What does your job at RGU involve?
I am working as Knowledge Transfer Partnership Associate between RGU and a food company who aims to utilise their wastes and create added value products.
What attracted you to come to work at RGU?
To have an opportunity to work at a University which has reputation as Scottish University of the Year and number one in industry connections is priceless.
If you weren’t doing this job, what, in an ideal world, would you like to do for a living? I could not imagine myself as doing something else different than being in the research environment. I really enjoy being on the science part of the food business and developing new solutions and functional products for the world.
What’s your favourite place in Aberdeen/Aberdeenshire?
Unfortunately, due to the lockdown and tough winter season when I started my work, I haven’t had enough chance to discover Aberdeenshire but I really like the little town of Macduff, where I live now.
Best holiday you’ve had and why?
Our one-week journey with my husband at Mytinilli, Greece was definitely the best holiday. It was a lovely little island with great people, sandy long beaches, bright sky and food of course!
Favourite TV show?
Not following any TV show.
Favourite band/music?
Arctic Monkeys.
If you’re going to a restaurant and could only have one thing to eat (one course), what would it be?
Seafood definitely!
If you were in charge of the university for one day, what’s the first thing you would do?
Invite the students who do not have enough opportunities to go to university or get education and give free lectures.