/ News /

Technology, Management and Culture: A Week of International Exchange at UPC Manresa

As part of the Digital Europe project MERIT (Master of Science in Smart, Secure and Interconnected Systems), UPC Manresa hosted a group of international students from the Master’s in Management of Smart, Resilient, and Interconnected Systems offered at Riga Business School (RBS), Riga Technical University (RTU). The one-week visit combined technological training, cultural activities and scientific discovery, offering participants a unique experience in interdisciplinary learning and European immersion. 

This mobility initiative is aligned with MERIT’s strategy to foster cross-sector and cross-country exchange, addressing the challenges of the digital world with a global and multidisciplinary perspective.


An IoT Workshop for Non-Technical Students

At the heart of the visit was the course “Fundamentals of IoT for Non-ICT Students”, a hands-on and accessible proposal allowing students without a tech background to explore the fundamentals of the Internet of Things (IoT). Over five days, at the TechLab of UPC Manresa, participants worked with: 

  • Arduino microcontrollers and sensors
  • Programming with Python
  • Integration with Telegram for real-time notifications
  • Cloud connectivity and data visualisation
  • Basic cybersecurity concepts

The activity concluded with the presentation of functional prototypes developed in pairs, simulating a pitch to potential investors. The workshop will be followed by a business plan that students will complete back at their home institution.

“In just a few days we went from knowing nothing about coding to building a connected device. It opened up new perspectives for us as future managers,” said one of the students.


Cultural Visits

Alongside the technological workshop—which offers valuable complementarity to their management studies—the programme included a range of cultural activities aimed at helping students better understand the local culture and surroundings.

Visit to Món Sant Benet

On Monday, October 13, the group visited the cultural and monastic complex of Món Sant Benet, located in Navarcles. The 90-minute guided tour through the monastery and its natural surroundings combined history, heritage and cultural innovation.

Participants discovered a unique setting that merges Romanesque art, culinary culture and sustainability—an example of how historical spaces can be reclaimed for new educational and social uses.

Visit to the Barcelona Supercomputing Center

One of the week’s most inspiring activities was the visit to the Barcelona Supercomputing Center (BSC), where students had the chance to see the MareNostrum, one of Europe’s most powerful supercomputers. They also toured the Museum of the School of Informatics, featuring an interactive exhibit on the evolution of computing. The visit highlighted the strategic role of digital infrastructure in fields such as AI, cybersecurity, and climate change modelling.

Discovering Manresa’s Cultural Heritage

The group also explored the historical and cultural heritage of Manresa through a guided tour of the city centre, which included:

  • The Catalonia Baroque Museum, home to an impressive collection of religious art and sculpture
  • The Basilica of Santa Maria de la Seu, a key example of Catalan Gothic architecture

This activity fostered a deeper connection with local identity and offered moments of informal exchange between students and organisers.

Institutional Visit to UPC Manresa

The programme also included a guided tour of UPC Manresa, where students visited the school’s laboratories, research facilities, collaborative classrooms, and met members of the faculty involved in the MERIT project. They also visited the university library and the Valentí Masachs Geology Museum, both located on campus.

The visit served to give students a closer look at the academic and research offerings of the institution and strengthened institutional ties.

Wine Tasting in Artés

To close the programme with a more relaxed activity, the group enjoyed an oenological experience at the Artés Cooperative Winery. In this rural and welcoming environment, students participated in a guided wine tasting, accompanied by explanations about wine production, the region’s winemaking history, and food pairing traditions. It was a perfect way to experience Catalan culture through the senses and conclude their stay in Manresa.


A European Interdisciplinary Experience

This exchange is a best-practice example within the MERIT project. It successfully combined technology, culture and management in an international environment, promoted mobility, encouraged transversal thinking, and fostered lasting alliances between universities and students from different fields.

With initiatives like this, the MERIT project continues to build a more connected, innovative, and future-ready European academic community to face the digital challenges ahead.

Scroll to Top