The first Erasmus+ partnership coordinated by SAMK started
SAMK succeeded in the search for Erasmus+ strategic partnership projects in the spring 2020 application round. The project of SAMK's tourism business research group to develop competence in maritime tourism was approved for funding. This is the first Erasmus+ partnership project coordinated by SAMK.
The Erasmus+ partnership projects are a successful route to reform higher education. This project, Sector-specific skills development in coastal and maritime tourism (Skills4CMT), aims at developing the quality and digitalisation of tourism education.
– The project is a significant opening for expanding the development of tourism education from the Baltic Sea to the European level, Sanna-Mari Renfors, Researching Principal Lecturer, says. Tourism is an international industry by nature, which is why internationality is also a very important part of the curricula of the sector.
As maritime tourism is Europe’s largest maritime industry, the project focuses on developing the necessary skills for the tourism industry in the marine environment. The Skills4CMT project stimulates the regional economy, as well as creating and maintaining jobs in coastal communities.
As a result of the project, European professional profiles will be created for maritime tourism, a joint European curriculum will be developed to strengthen strategic cooperation between the universities, and digital, open teaching resources will be created to implement the curriculum. The target group of the project is both the current and potential workforce working in the northern sea areas in Europe – the Baltic Sea, the North Sea and the Atlantic Ocean.
The project is carried out by universities of applied sciences operating in the sea areas concerned: Satakunta University of Applied Sciences (coordinator), Seinäjoki University of Applied Sciences, University of Tartu, Pärnu Campus (Estonia), Vidzeme University of Applied Sciences (Latvia), HZ University of Applied Sciences (the Netherlands) and Dundalk Technical University (Ireland). The implementation period of the project is 1 November 2020 – 30 June 2023.
Further information:
Sanna-Mari Renfors, Researching Principal Lecturer, sanna-mari.renfors@samk.fi 
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