The North-West University (NWU) recently took part in the kick-off meeting of the Erasmus+-funded project, SacredTravels4Growth – Higher Education and Sustainable Growth through Religious Tourism - at the LOGOS University College in Tirana, Albania.

The project is co-funded by the European Union under the ERASMUS-EDU-2025-CBHE-STRAND-2 call and seeks to strengthen higher education capacity through innovative teaching of and research on religious tourism. Its broader goal is to contribute to sustainable socio-economic development in participating regions.

The NWU was represented by Prof. Lisebo Tseane-Gumbi and Dr Michael Chambwe from the School of Tourism Management and the Tourism Research in Economics, Environs and Society (TREES) research unit. The delegation actively contributed to academic deliberations and project management discussions as part of an international consortium of partner institutions.

The meeting officially opened with welcoming remarks by Prof. Dr Ilia Ninka, rector of LOGOS University College, and Dimitrios Moschos, project officer at the Education, Audiovisual and Culture Executive Agency. Representatives from partner universities across Europe, the Western Balkans, the Eastern Neighbourhood, Asia and sub-Saharan Africa engaged in in-depth discussions on project objectives, governance structures and implementation strategies.

Key sessions focused on project management, quality assurance and monitoring processes. During these sessions, partners reviewed and refined core strategic documents, including needs analyses and action plans that will guide the implementation of project activities over the coming years.

Reflecting on the involvement of the NWU, Prof. Tseane-Gumbi highlighted the importance of the initiative. “SacredTravels4Growth provides an important platform for knowledge exchange and capacity building in religious tourism. For the NWU, this collaboration strengthens our contribution to sustainable tourism development while deepening our engagement with global partners in higher education.”

In addition to formal meetings, the programme featured academic and cultural visits aligned with the project theme. These included guided tours of Tirana, the Monastery of St Blaise in Durrës, the historic city of Berat, and the Central State Archives, offering participants contextual insights into the religious and cultural heritage of the region.

The participation of the NWU in the SacredTravels4Growth project underscores the ongoing commitment of the university to international collaboration and engagement in European-funded initiatives that advance higher education, research excellence and sustainable tourism development.

Prof. Lisebo Tseane-Gumbi and Dr Michael Chambwe participate in an interview session.