What can we learn from each others educational systems? In November 2018 5 representatives from Mid Sweden University and Torsta upper secondary School traveld to Dénia in Spain and to Parma in Italy to learn more.
The aim of the visit was to learn and exchange experiences about the educational systems in secondary- and university level in the field of gastronomy in a broad perspective. Also education of grown ups in the same field is of interest. They also wanted to investigate the possibilities to cooperate more closely at the university Level.
The visit started in Denia, in the Tourist Development Centre where we met teachers and students of IES Maria Ibars school. We got a guided tour of the buildning by four of the students från their tourism program.
The students had prepared and served us a small meal as a part of their training. The education in the area of gastronomy at IES Maria Ibars is focused on tourism and hostelry. We met with different people from the municipality of Denia and the University of Alicante in a workshop led by the UNESCO office. We got information about the regional strategy for developing the gastronomy sector in Denia and the surroundings. Very interesting since we are doing a similar work inthe region of Jämtland just now. We obvisiouly share a number of challenges for production of food; small farms, low income and lack of attraction for young people to take over the farms.the We also got some information about the different possibilities of education in agriculture.
Then we met with Angeles Ruiz and Josep Bernabeu- Mestre from the University of Alicante. They told us about the university and their undergraduate program in Gastronomy and about the brand new masters degree in the same topic. This led to a discussion about the possibilitie for cooperation between the universities with an interantional masters degree in gastronomy. The students had prepared and served us a small meal as a part of their training. The education in the area of gastronomy at IES Maria Ibars is focused on tourism and hostelry. We met with different people from the municipality of Denia and the University of Alicante in a workshop led by the UNESCO office. We got information about the regional strategy for developing the gastronomy sector in Denia and the surroundings. Very interesting since we are doing a similar work inthe region of Jämtland just now. We obvisiouly share a number of challenges for the
We met a farmer in the cooperative that told us about the production and how they worked together to be able to bemore effecient both in production and sales. We also went to see the cooperative COOPEGO where they sorted, packed and distributed the oranges from the area to all Europe. They did some very interesting tests to decrease the use of chemicals involved in the process and we had a long discussion about brands and consumers lack of knowledge about the origin of the food they are buying every day.
Parma
The first day in Parma we met with the UNESCO office and other people from the municipality office. Then we went to the university to meet representatives of their international department and to discuss possibilities for cooperation inthe future between Mid Sweden University and the university of Parma. After lunch we met with proffessor Andrea Fabbri and got information about the undergarduate and master program in gastronomy. We also here had a discussion about the possibilities to cooperate in a international master in gastronomy in which the university of Parma also is interested. Next day we made a visit to the Bochiallini Agrarian Institute, a secondary school in Parma where they have an education in agriculture. The visit was not to the school itself but to a brand new pilot production plant that had been financed by the state and the foodindustry together. The project is called Food Farm 4.0. The students in upper secondary level in Italy have very little practical education and working at this plant will prepare the students much better for working in the food industries in the area. There are a lot of food industries around Parma, from very big ones like Barilla to very many small producers of ham and cheese. It was interesting to learn about the difference between upper secondary schools in Italy and Sweden. In Italy all students will have all theory needed to go on to university and as a conseqvens of this they will not do much practical training. The principal Anna Rita Sicuri told us about the plans for the practical training. We also visited the small area of farmland that belonged to the school.
We visited Antica Corte PallavicinaRelais and learned about the very special product Il Culatello and farming of the pigs.
In the afternoon we had a short meeting with the Mayor of Parma and a very interesting information about the coming hub for gastronomy that will be housed in an old monastery.We had a very interesting visit to Parma and were impressed with the university, its international work and the programs in the field of gastronomy. We understand that there is quite a difference in the education system on secondary level between Italy and Sweden. We are very impressed by the amount of food industries in the area.
The next step will be a meeting between representatives from the universities in Alicante in the spring to see if it would be possible to form an international master degree in Gastronomy.