At the Chaplin School of Hospitality & Tourism Management, students are not the only ones who take advantage of going abroad. Each summer, Chaplin School faculty participate in exchange programs and lead study abroad trips that span the globe. This engagement at the instructional level is a reflection of the School’s mission to provide students with diverse perspectives and rich insights into the global hospitality and tourism industries.
China/U.S. Faculty Exchange Program
This summer, four faculty members from the Tianjin University of Commerce (FIU-TUC) in Tianjin, China will teach hospitality courses at the Chaplin School. Faculty exchanges take place every summer and have historically given hospitality professors in the U.S. the opportunity to teach in China at the Marriott Tianjin China Program while Chinese professors teach their discipline to students at the Chaplin School. Dr. Nancy Scanlon and Professor Pablo Simon are returning to China to teach courses in facilities and restaurant management and financial accounting, respectively.
For two visiting professors from China, Summer 2014 is not the first time they have participated in the exchange. Chaplin School alumna Ms. Danqing Liu ’07, who is now a professor at FIU-TUC, has taught Accounting for the Hospitality Industry for two summers at FIU. “I am very happy to return to the Chaplin School where my roots in hospitality began. [The ability to] exchange research ideas with other scholars and FIU-TUC faculty members is an invaluable experience for me and my Chinese colleagues,” Ms. Lui said. FIU-TUC professor Mr. Jizhe (Jim) Sun has returned for his second exchange visit as well.
In addition, Ms. Miao Wang ’06 and Mr. Xian (Damon) Tian will teach Event Management and Hotel/Lodging Management courses as part of the summer exchange.
Chaplin Faculty-Lead Summer Study Abroad Programs
When faculty take hospitality management students abroad, the excursion becomes an opportunity to sightsee and learn at the same time. These guided experiences are seen through an academic lens in which students examine diverse practices in the industry as they see their field of study come to life. Study abroad at the Chaplin School is available to undergraduate and graduate students, as well as alumni.
Study abroad trips Chaplin School faculty have planned for Summer 2014:
- Genoa, Italy
Dr. Carolin Lusby’s trip to Genoa from May 9 – 24 goes beyond a touristic experience as her students will be encouraged to live in the city and engage as locals do. The courses utilize Genoa as a setting in which students can gain a perspective on broader issues affecting the industry.
- Brazil
From July 16 to August 2, Dr. Lusby will travel to Brazil with students to examine ecotourism and how this type of tourism has been successful in preserving treasures such as the Amazon.
In addition, Professor John Thomas took a group of students on a nine-day, transatlantic cruise aboard Norweigian’s Epic, which sailed from Miami, Florida to Barcelona, Spain. Students traveled from April 27 to May 8. Hospitality at Sea trips are offered regularly and give students the chance to attend classes aboard a cruise ship. Classes are only a half-day long. The voyages are not limited to academics, however. Once students traveling with Professor Thomas docked in Barcelona, they were able to explore the city or join other study abroad groups.
Photo, from left to right:
Professor Miao Wang (left) and Professor Danquing Lui (right)
