Filenews 13 July 2023
Interview with the Dean of the School, Professor Anastasios Zopiatis
The Dean of the School, Professor Anastasios Zopiatis, talks about the new School of Tourism, Hospitality and Entrepreneurship Management of the Cyprus University of Technology (CUT), which will start operating next September, in Paphos. Dr. Zopiatis speaks, among other things, about the academic Departments and the Academy that operates in the School as well as about the programs of study it offers and the employment prospects of the graduates of the School, in a wide range of industry sectors related to the disciplines of Tourism, of Hospitality, Entrepreneurship and Digital Business. The full text of the interview follows
What is the purpose of establishing the new School of Tourism, Hospitality and Entrepreneurship Management in Paphos?
The importance of the tourism industry in the Cypriot economy, over time, is proven. The tourism industry has contributed, several times, to the recovery of the economy of Cyprus after various crises. The State, realizing the importance of the tourism industry, accepted the request of the Cyprus University of Technology and proceeded to the transformation of the Department of Hotel and Tourism Management into a School of Tourism, Hospitality and Entrepreneurship Management. It is easy to understand that the new School has created the conditions for the inclusion, under the same academic umbrella, of the subjects of Tourism, Hospitality, Entrepreneurship and Digital Business Management.
This, in conjunction with the integration of the Higher Hotel Institute of Cyprus into the Academy of Tourism and Hospitality Professions of Cyprus, and in combination with the expected transfer of the School of Tourist Guides from the Deputy Ministry of Tourism to the Cyprus University of Technology creates a huge dynamic that will act as a catalyst towards the further promotion of tourism professions, upgrading the quality and promotion of our tourism product both in Cyprus and abroad.
The establishment and operation of the School in Pafos would not have been possible without the joint action and synergy with the Municipality of Pafos. Perhaps for the first time in Cypriot history, a University School is founded, which is the product of strategic cooperation between the local community and the academy.
What needs of the economy and our country in general does this new School come to cover?
Over time, the needs of the tourism industry have been covered, in part, by the Higher Hotel Institute of Cyprus, the Department of Hotel and Tourism Management of CUT, the Post-Secondary Institutes of Vocational Education and Training (MIEEK) and, to a lesser extent, by private, higher, university institutions. In no case, however, was it possible to meet the needs of industry from the internal labour market and the import of skilled and unskilled labour from abroad was imperative. The shortage of labour, the lack of specialization and training have had and are having a negative impact on the level of quality of services in our tourism industry. The creation of the School of Tourism, Hospitality and Entrepreneurship comes to meet the needs of education and training both at academic and professional level. The cooperation and synergies of the School with the Deputy Ministry of Tourism and the Ministry of Education, Sports and Youth will allow it to develop a strategy in tourism education in our country, which will contribute to the maximum extent to ensuring the quality of our offered tourism product, and will enhance our competitive advantage in international markets.
Which academic departments/entities does the School consist of and what programs of study will it offer? What does each program offer?
The new School consists of two Departments, the existing Department of Tourism and Hospitality Management and the newly established Department of Management, Entrepreneurship and Digital Business. The Department of Tourism and Hospitality Management offers undergraduate and postgraduate programs specializing in Tourism and Hospitality Management, while the newly established Department will offer programs in Management with two distinct directions: Entrepreneurship and Innovation and Digital Management. The two Departments are complemented by the Academy of Tourism and Hospitality Professions of Cyprus, which has been a timeless request of the involved bodies. The Academy will consist of smaller institutes, such as the existing Higher Hotel Institute of Cyprus.
How well adapted are the School's curricula to the modern needs of industry and the labour market?
The cooperation, synergies and involvement of the School with organizations, research centers, professional associations and organized groups related to the tourism industry, have given us over time the ability to adapt and enrich our curricula so that they respond and satisfy in an optimal way the needs of the economy. At the same time, it should also be emphasized that the academic staff of the School has a full understanding and adopts the necessity of connecting our programs with the changing labor market. It is important to mention that the vision of the new School of Tourism, Hospitality and Entrepreneurship Management is to evolve and establish itself as an international center of research and excellence in the scientific and professional fields it deals with.
The School's Department of Tourism and Hospitality Management is among the top positions of the Shanghai International Evaluation List for 2022. Among the more than 2,500 universities evaluated, the Department ranks 51-75 among the best universities in the world, and among the 20 best in Europe. The creation of the School creates the conditions for greater recognition in the international academic field.
In which sectors of the economy can graduates of the School be employed and what prospects for quick professional rehabilitation do these sectors offer?
The School's curricula provide cutting-edge specialized scientific training in the fields of Management, Tourism, Hospitality and Entrepreneurship, with emphasis on contemporary issues of marketing strategy, human resources, accounting and finance. The wide range of these scientific fields makes the graduates of the School competitive in the labour market, while also providing them with the opportunity to continue their studies in postgraduate programs in related disciplines. In terms of employment, graduates can work in the tourism and hotel industry, in the service sector, in innovative e-commerce and technology businesses, while at the same time it gives them the opportunity to develop their own start-ups, both in Cyprus and abroad.
