In March 2025, Dr. Larbi Safaa, a recognized expert in sustainable tourism, creative economy, and strategic management from Cadi Ayaad University in Morocco, visited the Alytus Faculty of Kauno kolegija HEI for a teaching visit under the national programme for the visiting guest lecturers and practitioner educators from foreign countries teaching at Lithuanian higher education institutions.
This was one of the first implemented visits under this programme in 2025 at Kauno kolegija HEI, which received record funding for 20 visits this year, including all three visits initiated by the Alytus Faculty from Morocco, India, and Japan.
Dr. Safaa holds a PhD in Management sciences, earned at the University of Angers in France. Currently, he is engaged in scientific research at the Higher School of Technology in Essaouira, which is part of Cadi Ayaad University. He supervises doctoral research, organizes international conferences such as the “International Conference on Tourism Research” (CIRT) and the “International Congress on Innovative Territories” (CITI), leads the “Resilience Center for Tourism Researchers and Experts,” and serves as a co-editor of thematic publications on tourism innovations and smart tourism trends. His research covers areas such as creative and sustainable tourism, circular economy, digital transformation in the tourism sector, and the impact of tourism ecosystems on the economy and society. His articles are published in prestigious academic journals indexed in SCOPUS and Web of Science databases.
During his visit, professor Safaa delivered a 32-hour academic course titled “Sustainable management: assessing the performance and impact of modern organizations,” aimed at students of Business and Public Management study programmes. This course provided an opportunity to deepen knowledge of sustainable management, analyze real international cases, explore modern sustainable development practices, and gain practical skills essential for future professional careers.
A key highlight of the visit was the roundtable discussion held on the 13th of March, titled “Balancing costs, environment, and impact – the future of sustainable supply chain management”, supported by the guests from Extremadura University in Spain – Antonio Silva Sánchez and MarĂa JesĂşs MacĂas Santos. In addition, Dr. Safaa participated in a startup event, where he shared insights on entrepreneurial opportunities in Morocco and Lithuania and delivered a lecture on the circular economy titled “Circular economy in business: how to restructure supply chains and business models“. Furthermore, opportunities to expand institutional cooperation with Cadi Ayaad University were discussed, including the potential signing of a bilateral cooperation agreement in the near future.
Professor Safaa’s visit not only provided an opportunity to explore internationally grounded sustainability management concepts, enriching students’ knowledge of global sustainability trends, but also helped broaden the understanding of the circular economy, carbon footprint reduction, and sustainable development solutions for a wider audience. Additionally, the visit strengthened the international visibility of Kauno kolegija and the Alytus Faculty, fostering discussions on further bilateral cooperation between institutions, joint research and publications, and projects aligned with strategic goals of Kauno kolegija to promote innovation, sustainable development, and internationalization in higher education.
 
 
  
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