On October 26, 2021, a delegation from the U.C.M. – Italy Association (Associazione U.C.M. – Italia “Union of Mediterranean Chefs”) visited the University of Economics and Commerce of Poltava, composed of the president Paolo Brescia and the project managers Kolbasa Oleksandr and Polosin Anatolii.
The visit began with a meeting of the guests with the rector of the University, Oleksyi Nestulei and the representatives of the International Science and Education Center Yuliia Pereguda and Tetyana Pysarenko. During the meeting, the areas of cooperation with the U.C.M. – Italy Association were discussed, and a Protocol of Intent was signed, the purpose of which is to promote exchange and cooperation, to conduct training courses and practical training for those seeking a higher education on the basis of tourist and hotel and restaurant facilities and organize international culinary arts competitions, tourist gastronomic festivals.
A tour of the University was held for the representatives of the U.C.M. – Italy Association, during which guests were introduced to the material and technical basis of the Department of Food Production Technologies and Management of Catering. Associate professor of the department, Yulyia Levchenko, kindly spoke to the guests about the Concept of educational activities of the Poltava University of Economics and Commerce regarding the training of specialists in the specialty of food technology and engineering, presented the laboratories of innovative technologies in the catering and the tasting room.
At the end of the tour, the representatives of the U.C.M. – Italy Association gave a presentation of the “EUROEST” professional internship program in the south of the Italian Republic for the students in the reading room of the PUET library. The purpose of the course is the study of the Italian language and the basics of traditional culinary science, to follow a theoretical and practical professional training in the tourism and hotel – restaurant business sector for the following positions: waiters, cooks, pizza chefs, bartenders and administration of restaurant / hotel rooms. The event was attended by about 100 students.
The news on practical training for all participants in the Program before going abroad aroused considerable interest among those present. That is, students will have the opportunity to learn Italian for free and to participate in masterclasses, which will be held at the University of Economics and Commerce of Poltava with the assistance of the U.C.M. – Italy Association and the Foggia Cooking School “Settima Luna”. Students will use the skills acquired already during professional internships in hotels and restaurants of the Italian Republic. Upon successful completion of the “EUROEST” Internship Program, participants will receive international certificates of various levels, which are determined by the president of the U.C.M. – Italy Association, Paolo Brescia, based on the characteristics and evaluations of the managers of the Internship Bases.
Registration is already open for a professional summer internship in the south of the Italian Republic, and a significant number of PUET students have expressed their desire to join the program. We are happy with this and look forward to fruitful cooperation with new partners.