Business Academy SouthWest (Erhvervsakademi Sydvest):
Business Academy SouthWest (EASV) is a Danish regional higher education and research institution with locations in Esbjerg and Sønderborg. It aims to develop and provide practical higher education at the academy professional and professional bachelor level, which is done in close cooperation with the regions’ business sectors and (inter)national educational institutions. EASV offers a degree in in Service, Hospitality and Tourism Management, and have active international research projects within tourism and education.
Contact: Christian Dragin-Jensen
Linnaeus University:
Linnaeus University (LNU) is located in Växjö and Kalmar in Sweden and offers over 150 degree programmes and 1300 single-subject courses to 33.000 students within the subjects of arts and humanities, health and life sciences, the social sciences, the natural sciences, technology, and business and economics. LNU are research experts within the area of sustainable tourism and offer a master programme in tourism and sustainability.
Contact: Marianna Strzelecka
University of Greenland (Ilisimatusarfik):
The University of Greenland (UG) is recognized as an Arctic university that carries out research and education activities focused on arctic cultures, languages, and health and social conditions. By virtue of its central geographical position in the Arctic and specialization in questions related to Arctic society, health conditions and cultures, UG promotes development and innovation at a time and in a society in which where there is an acute need for knowledge, growth and long-term solutions. UG has a unique insight and knowledge in local/regional development (such as tourism) in isolated areas, innovation and entrepreneurship.
Contact: Gestur Hovgaard
Turku University of Applied Sciences:
Turku UAS is a higher education institution of 13,000 experts, researchers, students, faculty members and teaching professionals. We create solutions for a better tomorrow – both regionally and globally. Our graduates are practice-oriented professionals with top competencies.
As a significant regional actor, we harbour close ties to businesses and municipalities in Southwest Finland. Turku UAS is the fourth largest technical university in Finland. Students are sought after experts, with 99 % employment within five years of graduating.
Over 12,000 degree programme students in the fields of Technology, Communications and Transport; Health Care and Social Services; Business and Administration; Arts and Culture.
Contact: Timo Halttunen
Western Norway University of Applied Sciences (Høgskulen på Vestlandet):
Western Norway University of Applied Sciences (HVL) is a Norwegian public institution of higher education, having 5 campuses located in Bergen, Førde, Haugesund, Sogndal and Storm, stretching over 400 kilometers on the western coast of Norway. HVL has over 3000 annual university graduates, and offers a broad range of academic programmes at Bachelor’s, Master’s and PhD levels. HVL has experience and programs in outdoor education, nature & experience-based travelling, and are active in R&D with events and rural studies.
Contact: Gregory Kwiatkowski
Dania Academy:
Dania Academy is one of Denmark’s higher education institutions. With over 5000 students, full-time and part-time of whom 320 are international students, we are a medium sized University of Applied Sciences offering undergraduate programmes. At the Academy, students can choose to study in English or Danish in a diverse international environment. Furthermore Dania is holder of an ERASMUS+ Charter and offer both incoming and outgoing mobility for students and staff.
At Dania students are expected to play an active role in their own learning process. We aim at providing student-centered learning and open debate during class. Working with projects and problem-based learning is essential. We use different teaching methods like traditional lectures, class teaching, cases and presentations – analog as well as online. Our students gain the ability to work analytically and creatively in a problem-solving environment.
Contact: Henrik Sølvbjerg Pahus
Lithuania Business University of Applied Sciences (Lietuvos verslo Kolegija):
LBUAS is a Lithuanian higher education and research institution located in the Lithuanian port city of Klaipeda with a branch in Vilnius. The institution conducts professional bachelor’s studies in five directions: management, tourism, economy, law, and technology. Also, together with social partners and scientific institutions, it implements national and international scientific-applied research, based on which the Department of Scientific-Applied Research is founded.
Contact: Šarūnas Banevicius
Icelandic Tourism Research Centre (Rannsóknamiðstöð ferðamála):
The Icelandic Tourism Research Centre (ITRC) is a cooperative project between three universities: the University of Akureyri (UNAK), the University of Iceland (UI), and Hólar University (HU). The objectives of the centre are: to promote tourism research in Iceland, facilitate cooperation in Icelandic higher education institutes in the field of tourism studies, strengthening ties between academic work and industry, and to increase knowledge on tourism through domestic and international collaboration. The ITRC has participated in several multinational projects, e.g. funded by the EU Northern Periphery and Arctic Programme.
Contact: Guðrún Þóra Gunnarsdóttir
University of Gdańsk:
The University of Gdańsk (UG), located in Gdańsk (a city in northern Poland with over a thousand years of history) is at present the largest university in the Pomeranian region and has indisputable influence on the development of modern Poland, science and higher education. UG has eleven faculties with over 25 thousand students, doctoral students and post-graduates enrolled in such fields of study as Biology, Biotechnology, Chemistry, Oceanography, Quantum Physics, Pedagogy, Psychology, Law, Sociology, Spatial Management and Economic Sciences. The University remains faithful to its original 1970 motto – In mari via tua (The sea is your way), and its’ maritime image is reflected in many fields of study, specialities and research connected with the sea and in particular with the Baltic coast. The University is a valuable research centre devoted to sustainable development with educational programmes and research projects related to this important challenge. University of Gdańsk cooperates closely with the business sector in terms of education and scientific innovation.
Contact: Julia Ziółkowska
Koszalin University of Technology (Politechnika Koszalińska):
Koszalin University of Technology (KUT), is a public technical university located in Koszalin, Poland. At present, it educates over nine thousand students in twenty-eight modern fields of study such as technical, economics, humanities and arts majors.
To its scientific staff, KUT offers the opportunity to work in laboratories equipped with the most up-to-date facilities, thus enabling the carrying out of research in the most advanced areas of scientific endeavour, and for its students it provides lines of study and specialisations which meet the wide-ranging demands of the 21st century, in particular in the spheres of applied science, information technology and communications.
Contact: Luiza Ossowska
University of the Faroe Islands (Fróðskaparsetur Føroya):
The University of the Faroe Islands (UFI) is the primary higher education and research institution in the Faroe Islands, the nation’s only university and its foremost knowledge centre. It undertakes research and research-based teaching, providing for synergy between research and teaching, to serve the evolving needs and priorities of the Faroes and their wider region.
The University, which plays a vital role in Faroese society, currently has some 100 academic staff (full-time equivalents), some 60 staff in support and service positions, and around 1,000 students. The University’s Strategic Plan 2020-2024 provides a fresh statement of the University´s mission, together with a vision of a well-integrated, modern, professional university, working in partnership and in collaboration, to serve the evolving needs of the Faroe Islands and the wider region.
Contact: Firouz Gaini
Past members
University of Turku (Turun Yliopisto):
University of Turku (UTU) is a multidisciplinary scientific university. Expertise of seven faculties ranges from humanities to natural sciences and business. UTU is one of the leading research universities in Finland offering research and study opportunities in seven faculties. UTU has 20.000 students, including 2.000 international students from over 100 different countries, and approximately 3.000 graduates each year. UTU has a state-of-the-art research and approach to higher education – especially with university-business collaboration, regional development, life-long learning, competency-based education and intercultural competences.