The project establishes a new doctoral college at Tbilisi State University (TSU) and strengthens the existing doctoral college at the University of Innsbruck (UIBK), engaging PhD students in research on destination resilience.

The important component of the project is the establishment of a doctoral college at TSU and the strengthening of the existing doctoral college at UIBK. Recruited PhD students are directly involved in developing resilience indicators by conducting field trips, collecting and analyzing data, and generating longitudinal datasets for destination stakeholders. This approach not only ensures the production of valuable knowledge but also provides students with practical research experience, preparing them to actively participate in future research projects.

By focusing on doctoral education and improved teaching processes, the colleges contribute both to academic training and to the development of young scholars. At the same time, new knowledge on destination resilience in times of crisis, as well as research for development, advances the project’s research objectives. Beyond these outcomes, the doctoral colleges provide sustainable benefits by creating monitoring opportunities for destination stakeholders, raising awareness, and enhancing understanding of resilience in mountain and rural contexts.