SECAD Partnership welcomes the Euracademy Association to South and East Cork
(7 September 2017) This week SECAD Partnership is hosting the Euracademy 16th Summer Academy entitled “Resilient communities: pillars of sustainable rural development’’ in Midleton, Co. Cork.
Euracademy Association is a multi-national, interdisciplinary team of university teachers, researchers and consultants of rural development with a core aim of promoting capacity building in rural areas. The theme of this year’s study visit focuses on how rural communities can become more resilient in the face of 21st century challenges. The Euracademy mobilises communities and rural development leaders by offering them the opportunity to improve their skills and widen their experience.
Central to this year’s event is a delegate field trip to active local communities in South and East Cork on Wednesday 6th September in Carrigaline, Minane Bridge, Crosshaven and Carrigtwohill. Interestingly, among the three different communities there are different challenges, capacities and histories of resilience.
Euracademy member and CEO of SECAD Partnership, Ryan Howard is delighted SECAD Partnership and local Cork communities will welcome participants from across Europe including Croatia, Estonia, Greece, Hungary, Ireland, Poland, Scotland, Slovenia, Wales and Armenia. ‘’Through SECAD Partnership working closely with these communities for the past twenty years there is a wealth of knowledge and experience of community partners that delegates can tap into. The communities will also benefit through interacting with rural development leaders from across the continent of Europe’’.
Communities will generously share their experience of local development with practical project examples under the themes of ‘Youth and the built environment’ in Carrigaline, ‘’Youth and rural tourism and facilities’’ in Minane Bridge and Crosshaven and ‘’Integration of new communities’’ in Carrigtwohill.
Each community will also present its main challenge in terms of sustainability for consideration by Euracademy delegates. In partnership UCC’s Cork University Business School (CUBS) Centre for Co-operative Studies delegates will debate issues and devise potential practical solutions.
Dr Mary O’Shaughnessy, Academic Director NUI BSc Rural Development said, ‘’We are delighted to welcome the Euracademy Association and SECAD to UCC, this collaboration builds on our long standing tradition of rural development outreach, education and research’’.
Following the launch of this week’s extensive programme Fouli Papageorgiou, Euracademy said, ‘’Through our study visits and such joint collaboration we hope that rural communities will be well placed into the future to influence the process of sustainable rural development at this crucial moment of substantial adjustment within the European Union’’.
The week-long visit supported by Cork County Council will culminate in a Euracademy report to delegates and community groups with a view of building up a body of knowledge on this theme.
Photo credits: Noel Costello
