Critical Events Perspectives is a RUN-EU Short Advanced Programme (SAP) jointly coordinated by the NHL Stenden University of Applied Sciences (NHL Stenden), and the Polytechnic University of Leiria (IPLeiria).

The current economic and social climate has changed drastically in recent years and the increasingly competitive environment demands high quality services. Post-COVID, clients, visitors and residents are even more demanding about the impact of events, with a particular focus on resilience and sustainable outcomes.

This SAP addresses several key issues that are considered critical to succeed in the current economic climate, anticipating future challenges, and reflects on the ethical issues that arise in the management and evaluation of events, with a particular focus on the impact on regional development.

Over three weeks, the topics of sustainability, impact and sustainable destination development will be critically examined and discussed in the context of two exemplary case studies. These cases use a small local sporting event and an international cultural mega-event to develop an in-depth understanding of the impact of events and to assess and identify their outcomes.

Students will be asked to develop a sustainable strategy for the Peniche area on behalf of the Portuguese Tourist Board, addressing the challenges faced by the area in relation to surf tourism and local events. To illustrate the case study, a site visit to Lisbon is included to identify how cultural events such as the ’98 World Expo have contributed to the urban and cultural development of public spaces and how community building has affected both tourism and residents.

Date
From 15 April to 3 May 2024

Face-to-face week
From 29 April to 3 May 2024 at the Polytechnic University of Leiria (Peniche, Portugal)

Mode of delivery
Blended

Language of instruction
English

ECTS credits
3

Academic recognition
To be defined by each Home Institution.
For NHL Stenden Master students the SAP will be part of their elective course.

Eligible participants
25 students
If the applicant number is higher, priority will be given to Master-level students.