The Presidency of the Council of Ministers - Department of Regional Affairs - has launched an annual competition addressed to all students, in the framework of a whole set of initiatives for the promotion and dissemination of knowledge concerning sustainable development in mountain areas, in collaboration with the Ministry for Environment and Territory, the Ministry of Education, University and Research and the Ministry for Cultural Heritage and Activities.

Starting from the second edition (2004-2005) of the Competition on "Water, mountains and people: united for the quality of life", thanks to the agreement with the Ministry for Environment and Territory, the Coordination Unit organized a specialization course within EURAC addressed to the three university graduate students who won the competition. During the 2005 edition, the course was focused on issues related to "Policies and measures for sustainable development of transboundary mountain areas".

During the 2006 edition of the Competition "Mountain and Sport: Protection and Sustainable development", the Unit will organize a specialization course addressed to the graduate and post-graduate students who will receive the award, focused on issues related to the sustainable development of the Alps.