Three Senior Academics from Faculty of Social Sciences and Leisure Management under the School of Hospitality, Tourism and Events, Taylor's University, Dr. Ruth Sabina Francis, Dr. Lisa Tung Pei Pei and Dr. Khairiah Ismail recently took part in the Erasmus+ Exchange Programme at Thomas More University, Belgium. The Erasmus+ Exchange Programme aims to foster academic collaboration, knowledge-sharing and network building among the participating institutions.
During the exchange programme, the three Senior Academics participated in various classes and sessions, which provided valuable insights into different approaches to teaching and learning in the field of Hospitality, Tourism and Events. Dr. Ruth Sabina Francis, Programme Director, Bachelor of International Hospitality Management (Hons), led a class on "Rethinking Strategies & Reinforcing Leadership Shifts for Tourism and Hospitality Graduates." Dr. Lisa Tung Pei Pei, Programme Director, Bachelor of International Events Management (Hons) and Bachelor of International Tourism Management (Hons), taught a class on "Events Sponsorship." Meanwhile, Dr. Khairiah Ismail, Senior Lecturer of Events Programme, led a session on "Risk Management and Event Security" for the 2nd year of Bachelor students at Thomas More University, Mechelen campus.
The exchange programme provided a platform for nearly 200 international guests comprising academics and international office administrative teams from all parts of Europe, Vietnam, New Zealand and America to come together and share their expertise. The three Senior Academics had the opportunity to visit various Thomas More campuses at Antwerp and Mechelen, whereby they showcased the collaborative projects of students and participated in a session on Collaborative Online International Learning (COIL). Additionally, they had also attended a guest speaker session delivered by Holon Institute of Technology, Israel on "Multidisciplinary Learning Initiatives".
This exchange programme not only allowed the Academics to gain new insights and knowledge, but also enabled them to network and collaborate with academics from around the globe. Furthermore, the participating institutions were given opportunity to set up a roadshow to showcase their Global Mobility programmes, providing a valuable platform for students to explore international learning opportunities.