UCF’s Rosen College of Hospitality Management is hosting 30 undergraduate students from the College of Hotel and Tourism Management at Kyung Hee University, a leading hospitality and tourism program in South Korea, on its campus for a Summer Hospitality Industry Seminar.
Both universities encourage international learning to bridge cultural and social gaps by promoting mutual understanding. Kyung Hee University encourages frequent exchanges with sister schools overseas to facilitate the exchange of ideas to spread a shared belief in the value of learning.
The six-week seminar from July 5 to Aug. 13 is a cooperative program that was developed in September when Rosen College Dean Abraham Pizam and Dean Chulwon Kim of Kyung Hee University agreed to promote a variety of mutual collaboration in education and research to benefit both students and faculty members.
This unique program was initiated and organized by Rosen College faculty member Youngsoo Choi to provide Kyung Hee University students — future business leaders of the Korean hospitality and tourism industry — with an invaluable opportunity to develop global perspectives.
Through this arrangement, students receive first-hand experience only available only in one of the world’s largest learning laboratory in hospitality and tourism – Orlando.
While here, the students are benefiting from presentation and discussion sessions instructed by Rosen College faculty members on topics such as workforce diversity; quality guest service; green and sustainable hotel practices; financing and franchising restaurants; destination marketing; incentive travel; human resources; theme park development; and many more areas of tourism studies.
Rosen College faculty members along with hospitality/tourism industry professionals organized site visits to locations such as Universal Studios at Orlando, Walt Disney World Resort, Rosen Shingle Creek, Gaylord Palms, the Orlando/Orange County Convention Center and more.
The program hit the ground running, as participants visited the Wizarding World of Harry Potter at Universal Orlando Resort on the first day.
“The students were blown away by their reception in the United States by being one of the first groups to visit the Wizarding World of Harry Potter, even though it was 7 a.m in the morning the day after they arrived in the country,” said Rosen College professor Duncan Dickson.