Bologna Summer Studies

In recent years, the Emilia Romagna region of northern Italy has been widely recognized as one of the world's leading examples of a successful co-operative economy, with one third of the region's GDP deriving from co-operative enterprises. With over 15,000 co-operatives in the region, the use of co-operative systems both in the commercial and civil sectors has produced what may be considered a living laboratory for the understanding and application of the co-operative model in a modern market economy.

In British Columbia, as well as in other parts of Canada and the United States, there is a growing recognition of the need for applying the lessons of successful co-operative economies to the commercial and civic realities of North America. In addition, it has been widely recognized by the co-operative and CED community, that opportunity for advanced level studies in both the theory and application of co-operative economic models has been lacking.

The Bologna Program was established with the express purpose of addressing this need.

Bologna Summer Program - Outline

The Bologna Summer Program provided co-operative and credit union leaders, managers, practitioners, and students of co-operative studies with an opportunity to follow advanced level topics in co-operative economic theory, history, and methodology at the heart of one of the most vibrant co-operative economies in the world. The program was offered in English, and was intended to complement and strengthen existing co-op and CED programs in BC, Canada, the U.S. and other regions.

Program participants acquired a solid grounding in co-operative economic theory and in the practical uses of the co-operative model in a broad variety of settings, both entrepreneurial and social. In addition, program participants had the opportunity to learn first hand from experienced practitioners in highly successful co-operative enterprises operating both at a local and an international level.

The program provided participants with ample opportunity to share perceptions and ideas in structured dialogue sessions and in informal social gatherings.

Bologna is at the heart of one of the world's great culinary cultures and the sharing of fine food and stimulating conversation with outstanding practitioners in a wide range of fields is one of the great pleasures offered by this unique program.

The Bologna Summer Program for Co-operative Studies was jointly sponsored by:

• The BC Co-operative Association
• Vancity
• The University of Bologna
• Lega Cooperative e Mutue di Bologna

Partnering institutions included:

• The BC Institute for Co-op Studies at the University of Victoria
• Centre for Sustainable Community Development
• The Center for Co-op Studies at the University of Saskatchewan
• HEC at the Université du Montréal
• The Tompkins Institute, University College of Cape Breton