By Dana Meryll Gapas

A month after signing a memorandum of understanding, Mariano Marcos State University (MMSU) and Maejo University (MJU) in Thailand hold a three-day virtual lecture series on hospitality and tourism management from February 26 to March 6 and 7.

Kickstarting the lecture series, first and third-year tourism students gathered at the University Review Center and Zoom on the first day to listen to the key speaker, Prof. Arunroj Pungsuwan of Maejo University School of Tourism Development.  

His discussion will revolve around several critical fields that shape the future professionals in the tourism industry including, introduction to tourism and hospitality management in the industry, hotel management and operations, and food and beverage management and operations.

For the first day, Prof. Pwongsuwan discussed, ‘Green Thai Hospitality Practices and Current Trends in the Accommodation Industry in Thailand’ promoting environmentally-friendly hotels in Thailand that drive sustainable production while emphasizing SDG 8, inculcating the values of tourism. 

 
College of Business, Economics, and Accountancy - Tourism and Hospitality Department Chairperson Jericho Padamada expressed gratitude to MJU for the collaboration, which is a direct outcome of the MoU to advance academic excellence, research innovation, and community development in hospitality and tourism management.

“It is a platform for knowledge exchange, faculty and student collaboration, and the internationalization of the tourism program of the university,” he added.  

From March 6 to 7, the topics for the virtual series will be: Thailand’s Tourism Industry: An Overview/ Exploring Active Forms of Tourism in Thailand and F&B in Thailand: Story, History and Sustainability and Current Trends in F&B Industry in Thailand.

The topics are aligned with the courses offered at MMSU for tourism students, specifically on accommodation operations and management, micro-perspective of tourism and hospitality, and fundamentals in food service operations.