The University of Jaén hosted the launch of the 23rd edition of the Specialisation Diploma in Virgin Olive Oil Tasting, an international training programme which brings together professionals from the olive oil sector from various countries for three months and which, once again this year, is supported by the International Olive Council (IOC).
The opening ceremony took place on 21 September and was attended by representatives from the University of Jaén and the International Olive Council. Representing the University of Jaén were the Vice-Chancellor for Continuing Education, Educational Technologies and Teaching Innovation, Francisco de Paula Roca; the director of the Diploma programme, Alberto J. Moya; the co-director, Sebastián Sánchez Villasclaras; and the technical coordinator, Marino Uceda. Representing the IOC were the Deputy Executive Director, Abderraouf Laajimi, and the Head of the Department of Technical Cooperation and Training, Catarina Bairrão.
During the event, tribute was paid to the memory of Cristino Lobillo Ríos and Leopoldo Martínez Nieto, two of the course’s founders, in recognition of their contribution to the creation and consolidation of a programme that has become an international benchmark in the field of sensory analysis of virgin olive oils.
The University Institute of Research on Olive Grove and Olive Oils (INUO) at the University of Jaén is one of the organisers of this course, alongside the Department of Chemical, Environmental and Materials Engineering at the University of Jaén. The Diploma offers specialised training that combines the theoretical foundations of sensory evaluation with a broad practical component, covering the quality of virgin olive oils, their positive and negative attributes, cultivation and production methods, and the main parameters relating to their quality control.
A course with international leadership
The 2026 edition features 30 professionals on scholarships from the International Olive Council, hailing from 14 of its member countries, thereby strengthening the international dimension of a training initiative that has been running at the University of Jaén since 1997. Since its inception, the programme has trained more than 700 professionals from 27 countries, over half of whom have benefited from scholarships awarded by the IOC. Furthermore, 17 former scholarship holders from the organisation currently hold positions as heads of tasting panels recognised by the Council itself.
The collaboration between the University of Jaén, together with the INUO, and the International Olive Council has been in place for many years and constitutes one of the main channels for the internationalisation of this specialised training. The agreement between the two institutions specifically provides for the continuation of the IOC’s contribution to the Specialisation Diploma in Virgin Olive Oil Tasting and the awarding of scholarships to professionals from its member countries.
During the training period, which will run until 11 December, students will study theoretical and practical content relating to the olive oil production chain, with a particular focus on quality control and sensory analysis. The programme also includes practical sessions and technical visits designed to complement the academic training with first-hand knowledge of the olive oil sector.
