Prof Marc de Ferriere le Vayer is the UNESCO Chair of Food Cultural Heritage at l’Université François-Rabelais de Tours. Marc is a descendent of the first French Ambassador to China and has the same name. His university has signed an MOU with MUST and as part of the exchange agreement he gave a Distinguished Guest Professor Lecture on 3rd March 2014 at MUST entitled:
World Cultural Intangible Heritage: Experiential Learning and Transmission
He explained how France was able to add food to the UNESCO World Cultural Heritage list, and he explained that it was not French food that was added, but the French gastronomic way of eating. In France Food is observed and examined, but above all talked about before it is eaten. References to other meals form part of the conversation. He also explained the transmission of gastronomic knowledge in France and the importance of learning through experience.
