Gastronomic Crossroads Final Event at BAU Campus: Three Countries Met in Gastronomy Education

The Final Dissemination Event of the European Union-supported Erasmus+ KA220-VET Gastronomic Crossroads project, in which Bahçeşehir University Department of Gastronomy and Culinary Arts took part as the partner from Turkey, was held on 30 September 2026 at the BAU Department of Gastronomy and Culinary Arts campus. Bringing together universities and project stakeholders from Turkey, Romania, and Spain, the event showcased the outcomes obtained from the research, training, and practical processes of the project carried out through international cooperation.

The Gastronomic Crossroads project was carried out in partnership with Bahçeşehir University from Turkey, the Black Sea FooDignity Association and the University of Agronomic Sciences and Veterinary Medicine of Bucharest from Romania, and Comillas Universidad Pontificia and Madrid Culinary Campus from Spain. Bringing together the culinary culture and educational experience of three different countries within a common working framework, the project focused on supporting vocational expertise in the field of gastronomy with effective teaching methods.

Within the scope of the project, work was carried out on a shared educational approach where chefs could enhance their pedagogical skills in addition to their professional knowledge. A common curriculum was created by examining the culinary cultures and vocational training practices of different countries. The resulting educational model was tested practically through international workshops organised throughout the project lifecycle.

At the final event, alongside the joint curriculum developed, research outputs, multilingual educational resources, an e-learning platform, and hands-on workshop experiences were presented to the participants. Thus, it was highlighted how the educational tools developed throughout the project could be utilised not only by the project partners, but also by various educational institutions and gastronomy educators.

Asst. Prof. Kerem İlaslan from the BAU Department of Gastronomy and Culinary Arts stated that the project aimed to transform professional culinary experience into a transferable educational structure. The presentations and panel discussion during the final programme also evaluated how the developed resources could be adapted to different learning environments, as well as the sustainability of the project.

While bringing together the gastronomic heritage of Turkey, Romania, and Spain on a common learning ground, Gastronomic Crossroads contributed to the development of a collaborative model for international knowledge exchange in vocational gastronomy education.

The Final Dissemination Event held at BAU Campus brought together the initiatives carried out across different countries onto a single platform. Reflecting Bahçeşehir University's collaborative approach to international gastronomy and vocational training projects, the event served as a significant academic gathering in terms of sharing culinary knowledge through education and transferring it in a sustainable manner.