Mediation is an effective interdisciplinary method of dispute resolution (where legal studies, entrepreneurship, administration and psychology converge), widely known in countries such as Canada, Australia and Great Britain, but not so well established in continental Europe where the use of mediation is just starting to spread. Students in EU countries and also governmental and non-governmental organizations working in judicial sector lack academic and practical study materials and a comprehensive book on mediation. Therefore the project team decided to gather information on needs of involved benefiting institutions and bodies to be address during the particular project. The project team aims at drafting of widely used and publicly available study materials and e-book on mediation. The objective is to create a network of practitioners and academics of mediation, to address their education raising needs, to elaborate study materials and e-book, to organize disseminating seminars and conference in participating countries, to organize Intensive course on mediation for multinational group of students, to test the project results and to publish materials and e-book in the internet.4 universities are participating in the project from Latvia - Turiba University, Lithuania - Vilnius University, Estonia - Tallinn University of Technology and Italy - Genoa University.The objective of this project has expanded towards creating a multinational network of academics to continue to build close cooperation teams, prepare teaching materials for mediation studies and to organize a mediation course geared at cross-cultural groups of students that will contribute to the continuous improvement of its content. In the 2nd part of the project all study materials and articles prepared by the academic team were published in its final version. This project directly addresses the needs of at least four groups - students studying law and psychology, governmental organizations involved in administration of justice, NGOs interested in the amicable settlement of disputes, and academics teaching conflict management and dispute resolution methods.In frame of the project we created 4 main outputs: E-book on mediation, additional self study materials (Self-evaluation questions, PowerPoint presentations, group tasks and reading materials), video lectures about different mediation sub-topics and network of mediation experts. All materials are published in project webpage http://mediation.turiba.lv

The project envisages enabling Universities to be one of the key players in facilitation of the processes of mediation in Azerbaijan, Georgia and Ukraine to enhance democracy and objective problem resolution by acquiring best European practices. To do this, the project teams will learn the best EU practices, select and train the staff, select students, develop and implement Master Degree Program in Mediation. The quality of training and competencies of the students will be carefully evaluated by national and EU experts, the practical activities will be organized in partner countries and in the EU to ensure qualitative preparation of mediators. The Mediation Federations will be established in each partner country, that will act as sustainable mechanisms, through which HEI staff will have opportunities to promote the mediation values, introduce legislative changes, develop cooperation with various stakeholders and make impact on the local, national and international level.

Mediation is an effective interdisciplinary method of dispute resolution, where legal studies, entrepreneurship, administration and psychology converge. The EU has in the recent years embraced those alternative ways of dispute settlement for their main characteristics of being time and cost efficient. The applicable legislation - both on a European and national level, has been fully set out to meet those targets. However, an implementation process in practical terms is still underdeveloped in most, if not all of the Members States. The cultural and social challenge to change the general understanding about alternative dispute resolution methods continues along with the attempts to build trust in it as an efficient dispute settlement tool. Although assisted negotiation (or mediation) can find some historical antecedents in many countries, it is still poorly known in the layers of society subjected to litigation. Therefore in times when mediation legislation is still fresh, recently coming into effect, to raise awareness about its benefits among practitioners, the general public and more particularly – students, is crucial. Project is gathering 6 partner Universities and experts from mediation field. The object of this project is to create, operate, maintain and integrate in the curriculum of the partnering universities an online educational platform seeking to accomplish several main goals:1) digitalization of the teaching process to the extent possible by providing a database of information and materials allowing distance online studying;2) to facilitate the organization, administration and conduct of mock-mediation sessions and mediation tournaments among teams of students (especially useful in learning distance mediation and mediation with cross-cultural aspects). To reach this goal the partner universities will carry on multiple tasks including teaching activities for academics to increase their organizational and methodological skills necessary for organization of mock-mediation sessions and mock-mediation tournaments. A teaching material on methodology and the best practice manual will be elaborated to assist academics in organization of new mock-mediation sessions and mediation tournaments. The long term objective sought through the above is to allow students to practice the skills gathered in the course of their education in mediation and to additionally acquire specific training for conducting online dispute resolution processes

The project application was worked out based on a thorough prior needs analysis.The stimulus for this project was provided by Primrose Publishing who extending its range of language software designed a computer program containing a huge repository of questions that guests ask at the hotel reception desk in seven languages, which is also available as a smartphone app. The project aims to address key issues in the accommodation and catering sector by providing hotel staff with a set of freely accessible resources to improve their language and intercultural skills thereby impressing their guests with the use of the guests’ language and increasing their satisfaction. It not only provides hotel staff with a range of answers to these and other questions in 12 most popular languages used in tourism and hospitality business but also provide similar answers to guests’ questions in a restaurant, an impressive array of materials in 12 languages as well as a learning program and an on-line English course for those in the hospitality sector and tourism and hospitality students thereby increasing their competences and employability.Six partners are involved in the project: Turiba University from Latvia specializing in business, including tourism and hospitality management; Ekonomska šola, a tertiary education institution from Slovenia providing business education; Sapientia University from the Hungarian-speaking part of Romania - providing a wide spectrum of study programmes; IPSSA Nino Bergese, a hotel school from Genoa, Italy; Turisticka i ugostiteljska skola, a hotel and catering school from Dubrovnik, Croatia; and Primrose Publishing from England that created the FrontDesk program for the industry and the smartphone apps.The Consortium created the Learning program using Moodle platform. The Learning program comprises 2 levels: 1) A2/B1 language learning course for 12 languages and 2) B2/C1English course. Each of the parts contains 6 modules relevant for work in hotel and catering industry.Comprehensive curricula, pedagogical and technological guidelines, intercultural guidelines are a part of the outputs.Other outputs comprise two computer programs and two apps containing answers to guests' questions in 12 languages, the activities include relevant lexis necessary at restaurants and an in-depth survey of cultural sensitivities in all European countries and thereby avoid causing offence and distress. Digital maps have been created showing hotels in three locations: in a rural countryside, by the seaside and at a ski resort in the mountains that will help to learn a language using innovative approach. The maps are accompanied with the tasks and the inside hotel maps. All the materials created will be available after the project free of charge as a learning program. A project web-site has been created, and a comprehensive and challenging dissemination programme has been undertaken. The learning program and the on-line English course was piloted and reports written and uploaded on it. A wide variety of media, disseminationtools were used: seminars, workshops, presentations, e-mail campaigns, social media, conferences,articles, reports, fairs, etc.8 National workshops were held followed by an international conference in Slovenia with the participation of key stakeholders from the hospitality sector invited from the partner countries These events were organised to promote the project and demonstrate of all outputs of the project.The results are highly-motivating with the potential to transform and even revolutionize the way students and hotel trainees are trained at all levels. There is clear opportunity for all who work in the tourist industry to be excited by what the project has produced, and exploit the materials created to enhance their language skills and their ability to advance in their career.The project sustainability plan adopted secures this.

<< Background >>The main reason for creating the project titled TRAIN-e-HOTEL is the need to increase and expand the career readiness of tourism students in accordance with the requirements of real professional practice. The main idea of the project arose at the time of the global pandemic of the Covid-19 disease when students of relevant fields of study could not be provided with professional practice in accommodation facilities. In order to find a possible alternative form of professional practice, an analysis of the available resources and opportunities at the university level was carried out, as a result of which the framework plan and the intention of the project were formulated. The project-creators see great potential in the creation and subsequent inclusion of a training hotel in the educational process, in particular, in the possibilities of a) providing an alternative form of professional practice in the hotel industry, b) supplementing professional practice in the hotel industry, c) developing transversal competencies, d) carrying out international cooperation with other training hotels, e) bringing real practice closer to the offer of education, f) creating culturally and socially diverse groups of students working to achieve common goals, g) mobilizing and motivating students to participate in educational and development activities.The mentioned objectives respond to the needs of professionally-oriented study programs in tourism which require the greatest possible connection of professional practice with education. The undisguised intention of the project is also to create a background for the continuation of building the training hotel over a long-term horizon, as well as for the inclusion of this form of practice in the field of lifelong learning, or adult education.<< Objectives >>By implementing the TRAIN-e-HOTEL project, we want to achieve a significant improvement of tourism students’ professional and transversal competencies. We expect a closer and better connection of professional practice with the educational process and goals, taking into account the new challenges and trends of the tourism industry. The institutions involved in the implementation of project activities are higher education institutions that prepare future tourism professionals, and, which do not only involve students of the relevant study programs in project activities but also connect them with students from other countries of Europe. The main priorities of the project are, as follows: „Stimulation of innovative methods of education and teaching“ and „Inclusion and diversity“. In accordance with the selected priorities, the goals are to a) innovate future tourism professionals’ practical training by introducing a training hotel in the educational process, b) involve participants with a lack of opportunities and foster diversity.<< Implementation >>During the project implementation period the main activities will be, as follows: Preparation, Outputs, Transnational Project Meetings, Multiplication Event, Controlling and Dissemination.In the phase of Preparation, we will carry out activities related to project preparation, mainly the selection of partner institutions, the preparation of contracts and documentation, the preparation of project meetings, the preparation of the communication strategy and time schedule, as well as the preparation of the project implementation and dissemination plan.The area of Outputs refers to specific educational and development activities in accordance with the objectives and the main aim of the project, which will focus mainly on using innovative educational methods, e.g. Design Thinking, but also other development activities aimed at building and completing training hotels.In the area of transnational project meetings, a total of five transnational meetings are planned, but other meetings are also planned - mainly at the level of the particular working groups which will cooperate with each other within the created international network of training hotels. These working groups will address specific activities in close cooperation with the partner training hotels.In the area of the multiplication event, a final conference on “New Ways of Future Tourism Experts’ Professional Training” will be held. In addition to the above-mentioned activities, work outputs will be systematically and objectively controlled and evaluated; besides, effective monitoring of project activities, communication within the project partnership and beyond, promotion and dissemination of the project results as well as the creation of assumptions and plans for the further and long-term use of the project goals will also be provided.<< Results >>By carrying out the educational and development activities of the TRAIN-e-HOTEL project, specific outputs for the needs of education and professional training will be created. During the project implementation period, the activities will contribute to the development of tourism students’ professional and transversal competencies, and, thus, to the building of a knowledge-based economy as well as to the increase of innovation capacity in the tourism sector. The project will focus on creating and establishing special training workplaces, so-called “training hotels”. These fictitious accommodation facilities of the “Hotel” category will simulate the functioning of real workplaces and, thus, create favourable conditions for the implementation of professional and practical activities for the project participants. The project will establish a total of five training hotels, each of which will be built by a partner institution. After the establishment of the training hotels, specific educational and development activities will be implemented, focusing mainly on three principal areas - hotel information systems, intercultural communication and digital marketing as well as environmental sustainability. The defined three principal areas are considered by the project creators - experts in the field of tourism and education - to be extremely important areas of tourism with strong potential and the need for their development. The specific outputs concerning these three principal areas are, as follows: a) Adaptation and implementation of HIS, b) Map of cultural diversity, c) Intercultural digital campaign, d) Enviro-strategy.During the project activities, as a result of the cooperation of students and the professional-pedagogical staff, with regard to the needs of building the infrastructure of the training hotel the above-mentioned outputs as well as various educational materials will also be created. Besides, it is noteworthy to mention that to include the created educational materials as well as the training hotel in the educational process of the partner institutions – universities, the relevant curricular documents will also be innovated.