Study tours

Mesopartner has a strong track record in organising study tours on territorial development to Germany. We have taken practitioners from places as diverse as Chile, South Eastern Europe, South Africa and Sri Lanka on tours. 

We have learned that there are a number of factors that turn a study tour into a success. Probably the most important factor is translation at several levels -- not only translating what hosts and visitors say, but actually explaining the background and context of a given question and a given answer. This includes the preparation of advance briefing papers both for participants and hosts and having regular briefing and de-briefing sessions during a tour. 

For example, we have organised a number of study groups on Climate Change Innovations in Germany. Germany is a laboratory and playing-field for climate change projects in different spheres like technology development, renewable sectors, resource and material efficiency, rural and urban Climate Communes etc. Mesopartner organises expert excursions on climate change innovations and economic development for practitioners in the EU and in developing countries. These study tours are organised partly on a sector, cluster or value chain basis, or on a territorial basis. The excursions entail different focus areas, topical programs and didactical formats. Despite the different topic areas, the study tours have one thing in common: they are all geared towards opportunity identification. This means that they do not aim to show good (as well as bad) practices that can never be used as blue-prints. Instead, our objective is to create a learning atmosphere in which we can reflect with the participating experts about learning and action opportunities within their own working reality and in their different local and national environments. This is why the study tours also always include workshop formats that encourage these reflection processes.

If you are interested in arranging a study tour for your organisation, send us an email.