A team of teachers from the Polytechnic of Setúbal (IPS) has just returned from India, where they took part in a working mission as part of the European project SIPAS, which aims to contribute to the modernization of higher education in the area of tourism and services.

Coordinated by the University of Applied Sciences in Vidzeme, Latvia, and funded by the Erasmus+ program, the SIPAS project – Advancing Sustainability and Technology in Tourism, Hospitality, and Services Studies through Strategic Industry Partnerships, has the mission of developing and implementing innovative teaching modules focused on sustainability and the application of emerging technologies, such as virtual and augmented reality.

These modules will be implemented in India by two of the partners in this consortium, namely Pondicherry University and the National Institute of Tourism and Hospitality Management (NITHM), with whom IPS, represented by lecturers Duarte Xara Brasil and Helena Martins, held several working meetings, as well as with representatives of local organizations and companies, during a week of mobility.

The mission’s main purpose was to follow up on ongoing work, with emphasis on the strategic involvement of tourism industry stakeholders and the design of educational content geared to the sector’s needs.

The trip also made it possible to strengthen international cooperation relations between the participating entities. “This mission was essential to align expectations, share best practices and promote a truly collaborative approach between academia and the business sector, contributing to the training of professionals better prepared for the challenges of the sustainable tourism industry”,emphasized the IPS lecturers.

With the participation of institutions from Portugal, Latvia and India, the SIPAS project will have a direct impact on hundreds of students and teachers. It is also planned to set up technological innovation laboratories in Indian universities, as well as holding international conferences and training sessions over the next two years.

More information at https://www.sipas.in