On October 31 - November 2, 2025, representatives of "Haxhi Zeka" University participated in a study visit to Paralio Astros, Greece, within the framework of the project "MUSH LINK - Promoting Mushroom Farming in Western Balkans through strengthening linkages between VET providers and the business sector".
This project aims to promote mushroom cultivation as a new economic development opportunity for rural areas, through strengthening links between vocational education institutions and the business sector.
The purpose of the visit was to hold an evaluation meeting of the project implementation during the first year, where the partners discussed the progress achieved, the challenges encountered and the concrete results in fulfilling the project objectives. Each partner presented its contribution to the development of the main components and shared valuable experiences for the improvement of the future phases of the work.
Within the framework of the project's future activities, strategic directions for subsequent phases of work were discussed, including the development of the Capacity Building Framework, the preparation of the Toolkit, and the organization of local activities that will support knowledge transfer and the involvement of rural communities.
Also, plans were presented for the creation of an e-learning platform and official YouTube channel, which will serve as digital spaces for sharing educational materials, training and good practices in mushroom cultivation.
An important part of the program was dedicated to collaboration with academic stakeholders, through synergies with the SUS-FUT project of the Athena Research Centre. Discussions focused on education for sustainability and job creation in rural areas.
A special highlight of the visit was the meeting at the Thyrea Community Bio Fab Lab, where facilitators Dr. Priniotakis George and Mr. Nikitas Gerodimos presented the lab's innovative activities in the field of bio-technology and rural development.
Also, Mr. Lambros Karangelis, founder and owner of Harmafood, shared his personal experience and challenges encountered in mushroom cultivation and processing, providing practical examples of the successful connection between innovation and agricultural entrepreneurship.
The visit was considered an important opportunity for exchange of experiences, networking and strengthening regional cooperation, contributing to sustainable economic and educational development in rural areas of the Western Balkans, as well as toidentifying new joint projects in the future that will further support international development and cooperation.
MUSH LINK Project Partners Conduct Study Visit and Evaluation Meeting in Greece
From October 31 to November 2, 2025, representatives from University “Haxhi Zeka” participated in a study visit in Paralio Astros, Greece, within the framework of the project “MUSH LINK – Promoting Mushroom Farming in the Western Balkans through Strengthening Linkages between VET Providers and the Business Sector.”
The project aims to promote mushroom cultivation as a new economic development opportunity for rural areas by strengthening the links between vocational education institutions and the business sector.
The purpose of the visit was to hold an evaluation meeting on the implementation of the project during its first year, where partners discussed the progress achieved, challenges faced, and concrete results in meeting the project’s objectives. Each partner presented their contribution to the development of key project components and shared valuable experiences to improve the upcoming phases of work.
As part of the project’s upcoming activities, strategic directions for the next phases were discussed, including the development of a Capacity Building Framework, preparation of the Toolkit, and organization of local activities to support knowledge transfer and the engagement of rural communities.
Plans for the creation of an e-learning platform and an official YouTube channel were also presented, which will serve as digital spaces for sharing educational materials, trainings, and best practices in mushroom cultivation.
An important part of the program was collaboration with academic stakeholders, through synergies with the SUS-FUT project of the Athena Research Centre. Discussions focused on education for sustainability and job creation in rural areas.
A special highlight of the visit was the meeting at the Thyrea Community Bio Fab Lab, where facilitators Dr. Priniotakis George and Mr. Nikitas Gerodimos presented the lab’s innovative activities in biotechnology and rural development.
Additionally, Mr. Lambros Karangellis, founder and owner of Harmafood, shared his personal experience and challenges in mushroom cultivation and processing, providing practical examples of the successful link between innovation and agricultural entrepreneurship.
The visit was evaluated as an important opportunity for experience sharing, networking, and strengthening regional cooperation, contributing to sustainable economic and educational development in rural areas of the Western Balkans, as well as the identification of new joint projects for the future to further support development and international collaboration.
