The need to train professionals to overcome the COVID-19 crisis and renew with guarantees the tourist offer of the Valencian Community planned at the opening ceremony of the third edition of the Master of Mediterranean Rice and Haute Cuisine, which was held last Monday at the University of Alicante and in which the mayor of Dénia intervened, Vicent Grimalt. Previously, the rector, Manuel Palomares, and the regional secretary for Tourism, Francesc Colomer, signed the renewal of the agreement for the UA-Dénia Mediterranean Gastronomy Center, Gasterra.
The mayor of Dénia announced that for this edition the City Council of Dénia has announced four scholarships of 2.000 euros for students who have registered and that they can be requested until next October 30. In his speech, Vicent Grimalt pointed out that training is essential to face the challenges created by the pandemic: "The field of hospitality, and, therefore, that of gastronomy, is one of the most directly affected, and you have to have a vision of the future and intelligence to adapt to the reality that we are facing and that we will have to shape. . If we are trained, we will be prepared to make the changes with all the guarantees ".
Grimalt also asked for speed in the negotiations with the University of Alicante for the establishment of a university campus of gastronomic sciences in Dénia, “A campus that is not only the benchmark and custodian of a cuisine as rich as ours, but also the guarantee of a unique tourist offer adapted to the new times, and a permanent oxygen lung for our hospitality industry. We are working now to shorten deadlines. I think we will all agree that it is already a priority emergency ". The rector, Manuel Palomar, recognized the important steps that are being taken for the opening in Dénia of a campus of gastronomic excellence.
Francesc Colomer, Regional Secretary for Tourism, intervened in the event, who pointed out that "The commitment to deepen training related to gastronomy supposes a commitment to differentiation through quality and scientific and university knowledge".
For his part, the director of the Master of Rice and Haute Cuisine, Josep Bernábeu, indicated that "These studies represent a unique training opportunity to qualify in a professionally demanded field with tailored and specialized teaching". Also present were the mayors of Benidorm, Toni Pérez, and Pego, Enrique Moll, as well as representatives of the town councils of Alicante and Altea, who also collaborate financially, together with the Carmencita chair, in the organization of the master's degree.
Cristina Juan, teacher of the Master of Rice and director of the Dársena restaurant in Alicante, has been in charge of giving the inaugural conference entitled "The value of learning" in which she pointed out that the commitment to higher education in gastronomy "responds to the real needs of society and a sector in full development ”and has claimed that "Learning is also being able to change, to modify behaviors and ways of doing things".
