SRI LANKA: CUK Hosts Workshop On Tourism management

Central University of Kashmir (CUK) officiating Vice-Chancellor, Prof. Mehraj udDin today said the main objective of starting the Masters in Tourism Studies programme in the varsity was to hone the skills of students aspiring to earn their livelihood through the booming tourism industry of the Valley.

“Kashmir has a huge tourism potential and those opting programmes related to the tourism studies have a bright chance of getting proper employment or starting their own entrepreneurship unit,” Prof. Mehraj udDin said after inaugurating the two-day meeting of task force/ subcommittee constituted for developing curriculum for MBA/PGDM in Tourism and Travel Management. The two-day meeting of the panel of the All India Board of Hospitality and Tourism Management is being held under the aegis of Department of Tourism Studies (DTS) at the Sonwar administrative block of the varsity here.

Prof. Mehraj udDin asked the participants to devise a common curriculum for the Tourism Studies for the Central Universities of Kashmir, Jammu and Himachal Pradesh so that the credit transfer system would be done at ease. “As the Universities are in the process of introducing Choice Based Credit System, the common curriculum would be beneficial for the students,” he said.

He said the varsity’s Tourism Studies Department has signed MoU with IITTM and its counterpart in the CUJ and will ink more pacts with other prestigious educational institutions.

Registrar, Prof. M Afzal Zargar gave a resume of the University functioning and the programmes offered. He said the University was marching ahead in academics despite several constraints. Prof. Zargar also enumerated the steps taken by the University vis-à-vis introduction of new courses from the current academic session.

All India Board for Hospitality and Tourism Management chairman, Dr. Sitikantha Mishra said that during the two day meeting the participants would discuss the framing of the curriculum and will learn from one another’s expertise. “Kashmir is an ideal place to frame the curriculum for MBA/PGDM,” Dr. Sitikantha Mishra remarked and thanked the CUK for hosting the two-day meet.

Head of the Department Tourism Studies, Prof. S Fayyaz said that owing to the demand for professionals in the tourism sector, the University was planning to start bachelors programme in near future. He said the Kashmir had several unexplored tourist destinations and was one of the most sought after places for both the domestic and international tourists.

Others who participated in the meeting included, Dr. Sandip Kulshestra, Director, IITTM Gwalior, Dr. J K Mangaraj, Principal, IHM Gujarat, Dr. Bivraj Bhusan, HoD Tourism Univerity of Burdwan, West Bengal, Rohit Malik from Chennai, Prof. Deepak Raj Gupta, HoD, Tourism Deptt, CUJ, Dr. Manoj Dixit, Director ITS, University of Lucknow, Prof. S P Bansal, Director Institute of Vocation, University of Shmila, Dr. S Inayat Zaidi, Prof, Deptt of Tourism and Hospitality Studies, JMI, New Delhi, while special invitees comprising Dr. Riyaz Qureshi, Coordinator, DTS KU, Dr. Navin Mathur, Prof. and Head, Deptt of Business Administration, Rajasthan University Jaipur, Dr. B Misra, Prof and Dean School of Economics, NEHU Shillong and Dr. Sampad K Swain from IGNTU.