470 | Einen Leckerbissen für Uni- und FH-Absolventen bietet die »School of Graduate Studies« der Stenden University of Applied Sciences in Leeuwarden an: Masterstudiengänge zur Weiterbildung, die sowohl einen FH-Masterabschluss als auch einen wissenschaftlichen Uni-Abschluss Master of Arts verleihen.

Diese einzigartige Kombination kann Stenden (früherer Name: CHN) in der friesischen Hauptstadt durch die langjährige Kooperation mit der London Metropolitan University in der englischen Hauptstadt verwirklichen. Die Absolventen erhalten daher zwei Mastertitel: einen von Stenden und einen von der LondonMet.

Die international ausgerichteten Studienprogramme dauern in der Vollzeitform 12 Monate und als Teilzeitangebot 24 Monate. Sie richten sich an künftige Manager in diesen Märkten: Hotelbranche (Hospitality Management), Freizeit und Tourismus (Leisure and Tourism Studies), Einzelhandel (Retail Management) und Dienstleistung (Service Management).

Die Variante Service Management deckt ca. 60 Prozent der westlichen Wirtschaftszweige ab. Dazu gehört natürlich auch die immer noch wachsende Medienbranche, denn Medien sind Service-Unternehmen: sie sorgen für Informationen und Unterhaltung. Wer also Medienwirtschaft, Medienökonomie bzw. Media Management studiert hat, kann mit dem Master of Arts International Service Management optimal seine Karriere als Führungskraft stärken.

Bei diesen Masterprogrammen geht es nicht darum, die im vorherigen ökonomischen Diplom- oder Bachelorstudium erlangte Wirtschaftskompetenz nochmals zu intensivieren, sondern insbesondere die Führungskompetenz zu stärken. Immer mehr zeigt sich, dass Wirtschaftswissen und auch Erfahrung mit Wirtschaftprozessen nicht ausreichen, um als Führungskraft Karriere zu machen. Persönliche Kompetenzen müssen entwickelt werden und sie müssen in die sich global verändernden Systeme der Unternehmen und des Marktes einbringen können.

Den vier Masterprogrammen gemeinsam sind Kernmodule, die dafür die Basis bilden: Funktionen der Dienstleistungsgesellschaft, persönliche Wertschöpfung, Werte der Märkte, Strategien der Nachhaltigkeit und Zukunftsfähigkeit, Forschungsdesign. Es gibt zudem Wahlmodule, marktspezifische Module und die Erstellung einer Masterthesis.

Auch in dieser kompetenzgerichteten Ausrichtung sind die Masterprogramme der Stenden University ein einzigartiges Angebot. Nicht nur die Studienprogramme, sondern auch die Dozenten und Standorte sind doppelt zertifiziert: durch das niederländische Akkreditierungssystem NVAO und die britische Validierung.

Masterstudiengänge im Web-TV

Mit ca. 1.680 Stunden Workload (60 ECTS) sind die Masterstudiengänge der Stenden University of Applied Sciences echte Herausforderungen. Aus allen Ländern der Welt melden sich daher die Teilnehmer für dieses anspruchsvolle Programm an.

Viele von ihnen kommen für ein Jahr in die friesische Hauptstadt Leeuwarden und wählen die Vollzeit-Variante.

Wer die zweijährige Part-Time-Form wählt, arbeitet in seinem Beruf und kommt zu den Lehrveranstaltungen, die ca. einmal in zwei Wochen nachmittags und abends stattfinden. Mancher arbeitet auch in einem der Lehrbetriebe der Hochschule mit: dem 4-Sterne-Hotel Wyswert, dem Veranstaltungsbüro Meeting-U oder dem Institut für Service Management.

Die Masterprogramme aus Leeuwarden werden in englischer Sprache durchgeführt. Dies sichert die tatsächlich weltweite Internationalität, die für die Teilnehmer immer wieder zu spannenden Austauschmöglichkeiten führt.

Einige Studienplätze sind für den Start Ende August noch zu vergeben.

Und wer gern berufsbegleitend dieses Masterstudium anpacken will, kann sich auch für einen Start im November am Partner-Standort Köln anmelden.

Weitere Informationen und Anmeldungen: School of Graduate Studies - http://www.Stenden-Master.nl

Schnelle Anfragen: Info@Stenden-Master.nl / Telefon 00 31 - 58 - 2 44 14 42.

465 | This sunday I met Prof. Dr. Cathy Hsu from Hongkong, Sjoerd Gehrels as the project manager of Stenden Rangsit University Bangkok, and two students of Stenden University of Applied Sciences in Leeuwarden.

Cathy is a member of the Advisory Board of our Stenden Rangsit University in Thailand. She joined the School of Hotel and Tourism Management of the Hong Kong Polytechnic University in July 2001. Previously, she was a professor at Kansas State University. Earlier this sunday she conferred with Klaas Wybo van der Hoek, Executive Board Stenden Hogeschool, and Dr. Marc Antonius Jacobs, Dean of the Stenden International Hospitality Management School of Higher Education, Leeuwarden.

Sjoerd and I discussed with our guest the two types of Ph.D-programs at the Hong Kong Polytechnic University, where Cathy is working as Associate Director of Academic Affairs.

Master student of International Service Management, Mandy Wen, who took care for Prof. Dr. Hsu during her visit in the Netherlands, got valuable informations about the education system in Hong Kong; Bachelor student of Tourism Management, Stefanie Henneberg, informed about the further developments of our Stenden Rangsit University in Thailand, because she was there for 5 months following the Grand Tour® of Stenden and she would like to assist our fast growing university there in the future.

It was a nice, inspiring and intercultural meeting!

From left to right: Sjoerd Gehrels (Stenden Leeuwarden / Stenden Rangsit University Bangkok); Prof. Dr. Cathy Hsu (Associate Director of Academic Affairs, Hong Kong Polytechnic University); Prof. Dr. Martin Gertler (Director of Academic Affairs, Stenden University of Applied Sciences, Leeuwarden); Stefanie Henneberg (Bachelor student Tourism Management, Leeuwarden); Mandy Wen (Master student International Service Management, Leeuwarden).

462 | The conference on developing sustainable tourism in the North Sea Region was organised by the lead partner, the Christian Albrechts University Kiel, at the island of Sylt, Northern Germany, from 19 to 20 June 2008. Participants were also colleagues of our Stenden University of Applied Sciences.

Tourism destinations around the North Sea Coast face similar challenges in building up or improving their tourism business. For almost two years, the To Learn project has researched and analysed the situation of sustainable tourism in the North Sea region. Well-known research institutions in close cooperation with experienced tourism managers entrepreneurs, and other stakeholders have elaborated strategies to improve tourism sustainability.

In particular, promising initiatives that have proved to be successful in finding sustainable ways of tourism development have been identified.

Read the whole story…

461 | Caroline van der Roest and Maaike van Althuis, two students in the Master of International Leisure and Tourism Studies at our Stenden School of Graduate Studies, will go to Indonesia for a month (July) to participate in two development projects: Panta Ashi and Talenta.

Together with 20 students from Leeuwarden they hope to be able to contribute to the Indonesian society. The students will stay in Yogjakarta in Java.

Panta Ashi is a home for people with limited intellectual faculties. The students will coach sporty and creative activities (see www.stichting-camelia.nl). Talenta is an organisation focussing on projects in small villages, called Dessa’s. The students will assist in the general development of these dessa’s, for instance by helping the residents how to get on with their cattle, and the establishment of houses and schools.

Read the whole story…

458 | Twice a year, our Stenden School of Graduate Studies (SGS) is being visited by some professors from the UK. They are coming for a shared Assessment Board, checking our procedures and grading system - and giving advice to us.

Many assignments are to deliver in the four master trajects. The assessors took random inspections of all the pieces and reflected with us on contents and weights.

From left to right: Prof. Dr. Grete Birtwistle, external examiner, Glasgow Caledonian University; Klaes Eringa, academic teacher Master of International Service Management, SGS; Sjoerd Gehrels, course leader Master of International Hospitality Management, SGS; Tony Curson, Liaison course tutor of London Metropolitan University; David Tye, Manager Assessment, London Metropolitan University; Albert Postma, course leader Master of International Leisure and Tourism Studies, SGS; Marlies Böckenhauer, management assistant, SGS.

We discussed not only the assessments of the modules like Market Value Creation, Principles of Service Management, Strategic Hospitality Management, Sustainable Value Creation, Finance & Accounting; but also reviewed the incoming dissertations (Master Thesis).

During an useful fundamental dialogue about the rules of examining the Master Thesis: Prof. Dr. Grete Birtwistle, external examiner, and Prof. Dr. Martin Gertler, director SGS.

Discussing the additional work students have to deliver for the additional »Master of Arts« degree, provided by London Metropolitan Business School (LMBS): Sjoerd Gehrels, SGS, and Tony Curson, LMBS.

After finishing the Board, Tony Curson, Liaison course tutor of London Metropolitan University (left), Klaas Wybo van der Hoek, Executive Board Stenden University of Applied Sciences (right), and I reflected on some common future plans for both universities.

For the Stenden School of Graduate Studies, the Assessment Boards are always important as an additional Quality Assurance act, also the recently renewed validation of our Dutch Master programmes by the London Metropolitan Business School, one of the biggest Business Schools in the UK.

Thank you very much, Tony and all your colleagues, for all your alertness and patronage in the last 16 years of cooperation!

457 | The 1st IIPT European Conference for Peace through Tourism, hosted by Stenden University of Applied Sciences, will take place October 21 - 25, 2008 in the Hague and Leeuwarden. IIPT will award a € 1.000 Scholarship to the interdisciplinary team of 3 to 5 undergraduate and/or graduate students who write the best paper related to the conference topic:

»Bridging the North-South Divide through Sustainable Tourism Development«

The Conference is in support of the United Nations declared International Decade for a Culture of Peace and Non-Violence for the Children of the World (2001-2010), and the U.N. Millennium Development Goals. The Conference brings together senior executives from both the public and private sectors of tourism; senior officials of UN Agencies, the European Union,World Bank, UN World Tourism Organization, and other international organizations; and relevant NGO’s, as well as policy makers, educators, leading practitioners, entrepreneurs, future leaders of the industry, and senior representatives of related sectors including culture, environment and economic development.

The 1st IIPT European Conference builds on the foundations of three Global Summits: Amman 2000; Geneva 2003; and Pattaya, Thailand 2005; three Global Conferences: Vancouver 1988; Montreal 1994; and Glasgow 1999; four African Conferences: Nelspruit, Mpumalanga Province, South Africa 2002; Dar es Salaam, Tanzania, 2003; Lusaka, Zambia, 2005; and Kampala, Uganda 2007; and several smaller conferences, symposia and workshops in Europe, Australia, North America, the Middle East and the Caribbean.

Theme:

Bridging the North – South Divide through Sustainable Tourism Development

Aim:

The aim of the conference is to share knowledge, experience and ideas for future curricular development and educational and business initiatives that contribute to the role of tourism in sustainable development, peace, reconciliation, and poverty reduction.

Goals:

1. Provide a Forum for governments, private enterprise, donor agencies, foundations and NGO’s to debate and reach consensus on more effective models of achieving North – South and South – South collaboration towards sustainable tourism development.

2. Identify Models of Best Practice in North – South and South – South collaboration in achieving Sustainable Tourism Development

3. Facilitate effective knowledge transfer on Models of Best Practice and state of the art contribution of technology for Sustainable Tourism Development – and destination marketing.

4. Identify and enhance the role of the Media – and the roles of Culture and Sport in facilitating North – South and South-South dialogue, relationships and collaboration.

5. Engage Educators and future leaders of the industry in the debate, and in conducting innovative research that will contribute to enhanced North –South and South – South collaboration towards sustainable tourism development.

6. Identify and promote potential synergies with other industries for sustainable wealth creation and poverty reduction in Least Developed Countries (LDC’s) and Small Island Developing States (SIDS).

Papers, presentations and posters are invited on these major topics, and the themes related to peace through tourism as those indicated as below:

• Tourism contribution to poverty reduction/elimination
• Tourism and human rights
• Tourism as a social force
• Tourism as a political force
• Indigenous tourism
• Community based tourism
• Volunteer and philanthropic tourism
• Tourism and environment
• Tourism and globalization
• Ethical and responsible tourism
• Peace museums
• Attitude change
• Travel writing (eg, the tourist as witness)
• Reconciliation tourism
• Diaspora tourism
• Tourism and the media
• International initiatives (eg, codes of ethics)
• International cooperation
• Festivals and events
• Peace parks
• Tourism borders
• Cross-cultural behavior in tourism
• Cross-cultural understanding in tourism
• Tourism ethics
• Responsible tourism
• Tourism and humanitarian relief
• Success stories and case studies
• Sports for peace and development
• Education and training
• Industry initiatives

Presentation abstracts by academics, practitioners, and students are welcome in the following categories:

• Oral refereed paper presentations
• Case study and industry presentations
• Poster presentations

Educators are invited to encourage their students to attend the Student Forum and the IIPT Inter-disciplinary Scholarship Award.

Students will have the opportunity to present their material at the Student Forum. As well, please note the informations below regarding the IIPT Scholarship Award.

Submission Deadlines:

Abstracts are required no later than 30 June 2008.

Notification of Acceptance will be provided by 15 July 2008.

Full papers should be submitted by 15 September 2008.

Accepted papers and case studies may be published in the IIPT Educators Forum.

Material submitted for review should include:
1. Title of Paper; 2. Complete contact information of author(s): name, affiliation, postal address, phone, fax, email and website; 3. Abstracts with information on proposed topic such as research methods, findings, suggested application of results, and conclusions.

Please send any communication to
Dr. Omar Moufakkir
Lector in Peace through Tourism
Stenden University of Applied Sciences
Leeuwarden, Netherlands
o.moufakkir@chn.nl
Tel 0031 58 2441301

IIPT €1,000 SCHOLARSHIP–STUDENT ESSAY COMPETITION

IIPT will award a €1.000 Scholarship to the interdisciplinary team of 3 to 5 undergraduate and/or graduate students who write the best paper related to the conference topic: »Bridging the North-South Divide through Sustainable Tourism Development«.

Length of Essay:
There are no restrictions on the paper length. However, the suggested optimal length is between 2,500 and 3,000 words. Bibliography should be included.

Eligibility:
Each member of the interdisciplinary team must currently be enrolled as a graduate or undergraduate student through October 2008. Essay must be the result of original scholarly research of significant merit.

Submissions:
Essay Entry Deadline is 30 June 2008. Submissions in MS Word format should be sent via email to o.moufakkir@chn.nl with subject: “Essay Entry.” Please include contact, university, and study information for each team member.

Award:
The winning team will be announced by 15 July 2008. Members of the winning interdisciplinary team will have the opportunity to present their essay at the Student/Youth Leadership Forum on 21 October 2008. The €1.000 Scholarship Award, to be shared among members of the winning team, will be presented at a Special Awards Luncheon at the 1st IIPT European Conference.

More information will be available soon • IIPT • Stenden University of Applied Sciences