Erasmus+ soho project holds fifth transnational meeting in France
The fifth transnational project meeting of the Erasmus+ SOHO Project was hosted by Université Lumière Lyon 2, France, on 27–28 November 2025.
The SOHO initiative—Smart, Optimised, High-quality and On-demand Tourism Innovative Education for Sustainable and Green Development (2023–2026)—aims to modernise tourism education while promoting international collaboration for sustainable and green development.
A key focus of the project is the establishment of Knowledge and Competence Centres in Vietnam, Malaysia, and Bangladesh, designed as regional hubs for capacity building, innovation, and partnership. To support this objective, the consortium is developing new academic courses in smart transportation, sustainable accommodation, and renewable energy integration, creating pathways for future tourism professionals and entrepreneurs.
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The Lyon meeting brought together representatives from nine universities across Europe and Southeast Asia for two days of strategic discussions. Sessions, held at the IUT Lumière Lyon, focused on curriculum finalisation, digital integration, smart tourism technologies, and sustainable education solutions.
The American International University–Bangladesh delegation included Professor Dr Md Abdur Rahman, Pro-Vice-Chancellor, and Associate Professor Dr Chowdhury Akram Hossain, Head of the Department of Computer Engineering. More than 25 participants joined the meeting, both in person and online.
The programme concluded with a guided tour of Lyon and networking dinners, further strengthening collaboration among partner institutions.
The SOHO Project consortium comprises universities from Romania, France, Italy, Bangladesh, Vietnam, and Malaysia. Organisers stated that the transnational meetings reaffirm the project's commitment to building a greener, smarter, and more inclusive future for tourism education through strong regional and international cooperation.
