The Division of Culinary Arts at Youngsan University has once again demonstrated its standing in global culinary education by producing a series of internationally certified judges accredited by the World Association of Chefs' Societies (WACS), the most authoritative body in the global culinary industry.
Professor Bautista Jorge Adeodatus of the Division of Culinary Arts was recently promoted to WACS "Regional Judge," the university said Thursday. With his promotion, three of the four WACS judges qualified to participate in official international culinary competition judging in the Busan area are now Youngsan University faculty members — an unprecedented record.
The WACS judge certification system is divided into tiers: Rookie, which is observation-focused; Regional, which grants actual scoring authority; and International, which oversees continental and global-level competitions. The Regional Judge tier to which Professor Bautista was promoted is the core operational grade that allows fair and objective evaluation at actual competition venues.
Only four Regional Judges — excluding those at the International tier — currently hold actual scoring authority in Busan. The fact that three of them are based at Youngsan University underscores the institution's unrivaled expertise and practical influence.
Founded in Paris in 1928, WACS is the world's largest chefs' organization, representing more than 10 million culinary professionals across approximately 100 countries. It leads the standardization of global culinary techniques by establishing regulations for international culinary competitions and certifying judges.
Professor Bautista Jorge, who received the promotion, is a veteran culinary expert who studied hotel and restaurant management at the Philippine Women's University. He previously served as head cook at a steakhouse restaurant in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, and as a professor at Lyceum of the Philippines University and De La Salle University. He is currently active as a member of the Philippine chefs' association Le Toques Blanches and the Busan chapter of the Korea Cooks Association, building an extensive global network.
Youngsan University now has three WACS judges on its faculty: Professor Jeon Sang-kyung, Professor Nizal Tuladhar, and the newly promoted Professor Bautista Jorge. This represents the highest level of international credibility among universities nationwide.
"As a WACS judge, I want to contribute to raising the quality of culinary competitions through fair and objective judging that meets global standards," Professor Bautista Jorge said. "I will do my best to pass on the vivid standards and techniques from the field so that Youngsan University students can be competitive on the international stage."
With Professor Bautista Jorge's promotion, the Division of Culinary Arts at Youngsan University has secured an even more advantageous position in hosting and participating in international culinary competitions and expanding its global network. The promotion is expected to provide enrolled students with higher-quality education aligned with world standards.
