CETT and the University of Barcelona celebrate 25 years of affiliation

The validity of the alliance between the two institutions has marked all the speeches of the event. "After 25 years of academic relations between the CETT and the UB, the balance we can make is extraordinarily positive", said Jordi Matas, vice-rector for Institutional Relations, Communication and Language Policy. "A very good job has been done to consolidate a university centre of reference in tourism, hospitality and gastronomy". Matas also highlighted the solid university culture of the CETT, which "defends with conviction the university principles and values; promotes social responsibility; encourages multidisciplinary training; promotes the search for quality, and has a permanent vocation for innovation". "CETT, with this philosophy of work that has been built over the last five years as a UB-affiliated centre, has become a success model in a key area for the progress of our country", he concluded.

In turn, the president of the CETT, Maria Abellanet y Meya, said she was proud to be part of the UB: "The implementation of tourism studies at the university was, for the CETT, a very important milestone that was accepted with the best possible academic partner: the UB". She also stressed that a solid and stable alliance has been established between the two institutions, based on trust, academic rigour and commitment. "An alliance that remains renewed and active, to consolidate the university positioning of the CETT-UB in accordance with the new challenges," she said. In this sense, Abellanet remarked that CETT, "with a firm commitment to society and the country and with a spirit of constant transformation, contributes to the professionalisation, excellence and progressive regeneration of tourism and gastronomy, providing knowledge and talent for the achievement of a more productive and sustainable sector".

Then, Joan Tugores, in addition to giving the opening lecture, also highlighted the understanding between the CETT and the UB, in a context full of challenges for tourism, hospitality and gastronomy. "It is a combination of leaderships that has brought rationality and rigour, thanks to the complementarity between a private institution and a first-rate public one", he noted.

CETT

CETT is an international centre for training, research and knowledge transfer in tourism, hospitality and gastronomy, authorised by the Department of Education of the Catalan Government. It joined the UB in 1997, when, with the transition from the degree of Technician in Tourism Business and Activities to the diploma in Tourism, the university stage of higher studies in tourism and the development of tourism as an academic discipline began.

Throughout this quarter of a century of relationship between the CETT and the UB, the degree in Tourism has been joined by others, such as the Culinary and Gastronomic Sciences and the Digital Business and Innovation in Tourism, as well as various master's degrees, postgraduate courses and doctorates. CETT currently offers training at all levels (university, professional —with intermediate and higher cycles—, continuous and customised for professionals and companies), in all possible modalities: face-to-face, blended and online. In addition, the relationship between CETT and the University has also given rise to the UB Chair of Tourism, Hospitality and Gastronomy CETT, which aims to promote research and knowledge transfer in its fields of action.

Finally, it should be noted that CETT, after 52 years of contributing to the professionalisation and excellence of the sector, has a university campus with four of its own application companies: Hotel Alimara (4-star hotel), the international university residence Àgora BCN, BAS (Barcelona Academic Services) and CETT Corporate.