Imagine exploring Spain (Mondragon) or Italy (Emilia-Romagna) and witnessing first-hand the benefits of a vibrant co-operative economy - complex, long-lasting and on a grand scale. We also visit the co-operative ecosystem in Costa Rica, focusing on their efforts towards sustainability and occasionally visit other emerging co-operative economies such as Cuba or Croatia. Our international co-op study tours connect you with co-ops and co-operative leaders who help to animate co-operative excellence, interrogate challenges and breathe life into future possibilities.
Our international study tours to Mondragon, Basque Country are illuminating for all co-operators. Not only will you explore a co-operative ecosystem that is complex, long-standing and innovative, but you will also connect with co-operative leaders from around the globe in the context of a beautiful area of the world. Non-student spots are available for the tour portion of the course.
View the Mondragon Study Tour Example Itinerary
May 30 – June 7, 2026: Basque Country, Spain, visiting the MONDRAGON network of co-operatives. The tour is led by Dr. Marcelo Vieta. Read more about Marcelo here: Marcelo Vieta | social and solidarity economy. The cost is $5,100CAD for the tour including hotels during the tour, most meals, visits and speakers. Students/Alumni of the Centre's online programs (Certificate, Graduate Diploma and Master's programs) pay $4,700 CAD. Travel to and from Bilbao is arranged (and paid for) by participants, in addition to the tour fee and hotel for any additional days is arranged (and paid for) by participants.
Note: SATURDAY May 30 (arrival to Bilbao, Spain) to SUNDAY June 7 (departure – Bilbao, Spain).
Click here or below to register.
Our international study tours to Mondragon, Basque Country, Spain and Emilia-Romagna, Italy are an essential component of the Master’s program. The study tour takes place in the spring of each year. For Master's students (or Graduate Diploma as their selected elective), the tour is paired with a 6-week, online course that includes readings, discussions, lectures, papers, and a journal project. Non-student spots are available for the tour portion of the course. Details on the next (Mondragon 2026) is found above.
After the success of our inaugural study tour to Costa Rica in 2024, we returned to Costa Rica in February 2025 to explore co-operatives in a different region of the country!
This study tour to Costa Rica is a collaboration with our centre, the Centre of Excellence in Accounting and Reporting for Co-operatives (CEARC) and the Universidad FUNDEPOS in Costa Rica. It explores Costa Rica's co-operative sector leadership on social, economic, and environmental sustainability and includes visits to co-operatives in agriculture, coffee, dairy, electricity, aeronautics, credit unions, a salt co-operative, among others.
View the Costa Rica Study Tour Overview and Learning Objectives
The international study tours run on a cost-recovery basis. The fees cover the costs of your accommodation (including breakfast), some lunches and evening meals, administrative and coordinating fees within the host country, translation to English as required, transportation required during the tour, and expenses related to the tour leaders.
Students and sector participants are responsible for organizing and paying for their airfare and ground transportation to and from the tour’s starting location, some meals, and other personal and incidental expenses that may arise during the trip.
For more information, contact jillian.stagg@smu.ca
Hosting the 2024 inaugural Costa Rica Study Tour was both an honor and a privilege for FUNDEPOS University. Welcoming cooperative members from the USA, Canada, the UK, Malta, and Mexico allowed us to share the remarkable sustainability commitment of Costa Rican co-operatives. The 14 cooperatives that hosted meetings and field visits provided an inspiring example of how environmental, social, and economic sustainability can be seamlessly integrated into co-operative models. For FUNDEPOS, this tour was an opportunity to facilitate cross-cultural learning and showcase Costa Rica's unique co-operative ecosystem to a highly distinguished group of international participants. Witnessing the participants’ enthusiasm and the valuable exchange of ideas reinforced the importance of collaboration in advancing global sustainability goals. This successful event underscores the transformative power of co-operative education and partnerships, and we are proud to have played a role in fostering a deeper understanding of sustainable practices.
Hosting the 2024 inaugural Costa Rica Study Tour was both an honor and a privilege for FUNDEPOS University. Welcoming cooperative members from the USA, Canada, the UK, Malta, and Mexico allowed us to share the remarkable sustainability commitment of Costa Rican co-operatives. The 14 cooperatives that hosted meetings and field visits provided an inspiring example of how environmental, social, and economic sustainability can be seamlessly integrated into co-operative models.
For FUNDEPOS, this tour was an opportunity to facilitate cross-cultural learning and showcase Costa Rica's unique co-operative ecosystem to a highly distinguished group of international participants. Witnessing the participants’ enthusiasm and the valuable exchange of ideas reinforced the importance of collaboration in advancing global sustainability goals. This successful event underscores the transformative power of co-operative education and partnerships, and we are proud to have played a role in fostering a deeper understanding of sustainable practices.