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The International Olive Council (IOC) has awarded 30 scholarships to olive-sector professionals from 14 member countries to attend the 23rd International Expert Course in Virgin Olive Oil Tasting, which will take place at the University of Jaén (Spain) from 21 September to 11 December 2026.
The selected participants come from Algeria, Argentina, Croatia, Egypt, Greece, Iran, Israel, Italy, Libya, Morocco, Spain, Tunisia, Türkiye and Uruguay, reflecting the international reach of the IOC’s training programme and its commitment to strengthening expertise throughout the olive value chain.
Recognised as one of the world’s leading training programmes in sensory analysis of virgin olive oils, the course provides intensive theoretical and practical instruction in the organoleptic assessment of virgin olive oils, the identification of positive and negative sensory attributes, and the interpretation of key quality parameters in accordance with IOC standards.
The scholarships cover tuition fees, travel costs, insurance and a monthly allowance to support participants during their stay in Jaén. Candidates were selected on the basis of their academic background, professional experience and potential to contribute to the development of the olive sector in their respective countries.
Through this initiative, the IOC seeks to strengthen technical capacity, support the transfer of knowledge and promote a common culture of quality among olive-growing countries. Many former scholarship holders have gone on to establish or strengthen tasting panels, quality-control systems and training programmes in their home countries, contributing to the harmonised application of IOC standards worldwide.
In line with the IOC’s commitment to transparency, the list of selected scholarship holders is available on the IOC website.
