NEST

Network of Education on Sustainable Tourism

Is a capacity building project by the Centre for Advanced Studies on Tourism (CAST) of the University of Bologna in partnership with the University Centre of Bertinoro (Ce.UB) and co-financed by the Italian Agency for Development Cooperation (AICS).

In accordance to the internationally recognized Goals for Sustainable Development, the project aims to improve the skills in the field of sustainable tourism of the operators from partner countries engaged in the framework of Italian Cooperation and to create an operational, open and dynamic network that will consolidate permanently in the following years.

To contribute to this objective, the NEST project has involved the implementation of several actions:

1. The creation of a 7-week Spring School on Sustainable Tourism (May-June 2015) for 23 participants from the Republic of the Union of Myanmar
2. The creation of a 7-week Autumn School on Sustainable Tourism (October-December 2015) for 27 participants from the Republic of the Union of Myanmar
3. The creation of a 6-week Autumn School on Sustainable Tourism (November-December 2018) for 22 participants from five southern and eastern Mediterranean countries (Albania, Jordan, Lebanon, Palestine, Tunisia).
4. The creation of a 5-week Spring School on Sustainable Tourism (February-March 2019) for 28 participants from different non-Mediterranean countries (Bolivia, Cuba, El Salvador, Ethiopia, Kenya, Mozambique, Myanmar, Senegal).
5. The creation of a pilot online platform for managing the network of Alumni attending the training courses on sustainable tourism promoted and financed by AICS.
6. Development of a "participatory process", to support the network through a dual action of mentoring and monitoring of the projects on sustainable tourism created (or still to be developed) by the Alumni.
7. Organization of a training activity in the field of sustainable tourism to be carried out in Italy for the benefit of selected Alumni, chosen within the group of participants in the sustainable tourism courses held at the University Centre from 2015. This course consisted of an intensive one-week training (composed by both classroom lessons and visits) held at the University Centre of Bertinoro from 25th to 30th of November 2019 and in a two days international conference, held on December 2nd (at the Bertinoro University Centre) and December 3rd (at CAST, Rimini Campus).

2015: Tourism Capacity Building in the Republic of the Union of Myanmar - Spring School

The Italian Agency for Development Cooperation (AICS) and the Department of Economics of the University of Bologna, had supported and promoted the Spring School “Tourism Capacity Building in the Republic of the Union of Myanmar” , held in Italy from May 4th to June 21st 2015 at the University Centre of Bertinoro.

The Spring School, implemented by the Centre for Advanced Studies in Tourism (CAST) of the University of Bologna in partnership with the University Centre of Bertinoro (Ce.UB), was aimed at high-level training in tourism and at creating a network of knowledge among participants and, more generally, among the field’s experts.

The training
course

The training course was addressed to 23 participants from Myanmar and specifically to experts specialized in the field of sustainable tourism, specifically:

1. Medium-high level public officials
2. Private companies’ entrepreneurs and managers
3. University professors.

The Spring school was held in English by professors from the University of Bologna, Centre for Advanced Studies in Tourism (CAST), and national and international organizations. The training course included: classes, workshops, project works, meetings with representatives of public institutions and businesses in the tourism sector.

2015: Tourism Capacity Building in the Republic of the Union of Myanmar - Autumn School

The Italian Agency for Development Cooperation (AICS) and the Department of Economics of the University of Bologna, had supported and promoted the Spring School “Tourism Capacity Building in the Republic of the Union of Myanmar” , held in Italy from October 25th to December 13th 2015 at the University Centre of Bertinoro.

The Autumn School, implemented by the Centre for Advanced Studies in Tourism (CAST) of the University of Bologna in partnership with the University Centre of Bertinoro (Ce.UB), was aimed at high-level training in tourism and at creating a network of knowledge among participants and, more generally, among the field’s experts.

The training
course

Organized similarly to the spring school of the same year, this training course was addressed to 27 participants from Myanmar and specifically to experts in the field of sustainable tourism development, namely:

1. Medium-high level public officials
2. Private companies’ entrepreneurs and managers
3. University professors.

The Autumn school was held in English by professors from the University of Bologna, Centre for Advanced Studies in Tourism (CAST), and national and international organizations. The training course included: classes, workshops, project works, meetings with representatives of public institutions and businesses in the tourism sector.

Autumn School in
Sustainable Tourism

The Italian Agency for Development Cooperation (AICS) and the Department of Economics of the University of Bologna, had supported and promoted the NEST Autumn School on sustainable tourism, held in Italy from November 5th to December 16th 2018 at the University Centre of Bertinoro (weeks 1-5) and Sardinia (week 6).

The Autumn School, implemented by the Centre for Advanced Studies in Tourism (CAST) of the University of Bologna in partnership with the University Centre of Bertinoro (Ce.UB), was aimed at high-level training in tourism and at creating a network of knowledge among participants and, more generally, among the field’s experts.

The training
course

The training course was addressed to 22 participants, selected from the Mediterranean countries (Albania, Jordan, Lebanon, Palestine, Tunisia) and at experts specialized in the field of sustainable tourism, specifically:

1. Medium-high level public officials
2. Private companies’ entrepreneurs and managers
3. University professors.

The Autumn school was held in English by professors from the University of Bologna, Centre for Advanced Studies in Tourism (CAST), and national and international organizations. The training course included: classes, workshops, project works, meetings with representatives of public institutions and businesses in the tourism sector.

Spring School in
Sustainable Tourism

After successful organization of 2018 Autumn school, NEST project has continued its activities through 2019. From February 25th to March 31st Spring school was organized at the University Centre of Bertinoro (Ce.UB), and implemented by the mentioned Centre, The Italian Agency for Development Cooperation (AICS) and Centre for Advanced Studies in Tourism (CAST) of University of Bologna.

Scope of this edition was similar to the aim of the Autumn School: high-level training in tourism and creation of the network of knowledge among participants and field’s experts.

The training
course

This time, training course has put together 28 participants from 8 developing countries from different parts of the world - Bolivia, Cuba, El Salvador, Ethiopia, Kenya, Mozambique, Myanmar, Senegal. Precisely, it was addressed to experts specialized in the field of sustainable tourism, namely:

1. Medium-high level public officials
2. Private sector entrepreneurs and managers
3. University professors.

As it was case with the Autumn edition, the Spring school was held in English, and courses were taught by professors from the University of Bologna, Centre for Advanced Studies in Tourism (CAST), and representatives of national and international organizations. The training course included: classes, workshops, project works, meetings with members of public institutions and private businesses in the tourism sector.