Students from the FUAB School present their final degree projects (TFG) with service-learning (ApS) at the 2nd Seminar on Archives and Tourism

The three students carried out the project under the supervision of Ariadna Morente, coordinator of Continuing Education at the FUAB School, who also moderated the presentation of papers during the seminar, and Imma Díaz, lecturer and researcher in the field of Geography and Tourism at our university. Jofre Rodrigo, from the Technical Office of the Strategic Plan for the Riera de Carme, also collaborated in the development of the project.

The students presented their experience of interdisciplinary collaboration between a master’s thesis in archival studies and a bachelor’s thesis in tourism, both developed using service-learning (ApS) methodology in the Riera de Carme valley (Anoia). Based on the needs of the area—preservation of industrial hydraulic heritage, safeguarding of oral memory, and the promotion of sustainable tourism—the study analyzes the synergies between the design of a collaborative digital archive and a greenway proposal, addressing real-world needs. This case highlights the potential of service-learning to generate applied, interdisciplinary knowledge with tangible territorial impact.

Service-Learning (ApS): learning through contributing to the community

The methodology used by the students, ApS, is an educational approach through which students learn by participating in a project aimed at addressing a real need in a community, thereby improving people’s living conditions or the quality of the environment. The UAB has a structure dedicated to this methodology, the Service-Learning Office, managed by the Universitat Autònoma Solidària Foundation (FAS), which channels students’ experiences and proposals as well as those of partner organizations. Each faculty or teaching centre appoints a designated representative who is part of the ApS Committee. In the case of the FUAB School, this role is held by Ariadna Morente, who coordinated the work presented at the Seminar.

ESAGED, on the scientific committee

Regarding ESAGED’s participation in the Seminar, both Ariadna Morente and Joan Pérez Ventayol, Director of Studies, are members of the scientific committee of this biennial congress, promoted by the City Council of Lloret de Mar, the Girona Provincial Council, and the Government of Catalonia. The congress aims to bring the history of tourism closer to society from multiple perspectives, thereby raising awareness of the importance of preserving and making accessible this documentation in both public and private institutions worldwide. The 2nd Seminar, held on 13, 14, and 15 May in Lloret de Mar, included keynote lectures, round tables, and various communication sessions such as the one delivered by the students of the School, as well as complementary academic activities and a social programme featuring tourism and cultural proposals.

In this context, the students were able to present their research for the first time at an international conference and to network with other professionals in the field.

*This news was originally published by the FUAB School of Training (UAB)