Welcoming the German delegates, UMP Vice-Chancellor Professor Thoko Mayekiso said the agreement would afford both institutions, their staff and students, great learning opportunities and experiences.
She added that UMP has several partnerships with other local and international universities, from Africa to Austria and Australia. “Our location is strategic for tourism as we are close to Swaziland, Mozambique and the famous Kruger National Park. We also have several Heritage sites. We emphasise the holistic development of students as indicated by our graduate attributes.”
UMP Head of School of Hospitality and Tourism Management, Professor July Sibanyoni presented on the School emphasising the process UMP is following to ensure that a degree in tourism management is offered at UMP.
“The School ensures that both theory and practicals are very important. UMP can host big functions and our students are given the opportunity to display their skills,” he mentioned.
Very much aligned with UMP’s method of teaching and learning, one of the most important features at DHBW is the integration of theory and practical experience: Students regularly switch between theoretical phases at the university and practical phases at work placements.
Promoting Employability
Baden-Wuerttemberg Cooperative State University (Duale Hochschule Baden-Württemberg) is the first higher education institution in Germany which combines on-the-job training and academic studies and, therefore, achieves a close integration of theory and practice, both being components of cooperative education.
Throughout its nine locations and three campuses, the university offers a broad range of undergraduate study programmes in the field of business, engineering, and social work.
DHBW Chief Executive Officer, Professor Theodor Karl Sproll, noted that the university is a member of the World Association for Cooperative Education (WACE), the World Universities Congress and also part of the Balkan Universities Network.
“Our university and management structures comprise 50% of board members who are from the industry related to the studies they are offering, which will create employment opportunities for the students who will be involved in the student exchange programme. The institution has four faculties such as Economics, Engineering, Social sciences and Health. They focus on integrating practical and theory, which is referred to as the Dual System," he continued.
"Theory from university and practical from industries. This promotes the employability of students once they complete their degrees and reduces dropouts (75-85% of their students complete their programmes) and the university’s task is to contribute to the economic growth of the country.”
Professor Sproll also indicated that 50-60% of their tourism students take a semester abroad, which is very important to them as they concentrate on sustainable tourism and medical tourism.
He added that his institution has a sustainable tourism project in Ghana and joint modules in sustainable tourism with Botswana. They are also interested in introducing dual studies approaches in universities to increase employability.
Forging Ahead
Professor Sproll further explained that DHBW provides excursions for staff and students, also referred to as summer schools, which have been conducted with the West Indies and now have started focusing on African universities including those that are based in Ghana, Botswana, Mozambique and South Africa.
The institutions jointly say the MoU will see them working together on collaborative and sustainable projects, sharing curriculum courses offered by their partners and it will also enable lecturers from the partners to visit the tourism departments.
Moving forward they will brainstorm future projects that involve students and faculties as well as universities and industries in both South Africa and Germany
According to the MoU, UMP will process the development of the Bachelor in Tourism Programme and DHBW can help the development of curriculum. The Professors in Tourism at DHBW will discuss with UMP academic staff possible projects that the two universities can jointly engage in.
@ Story University of Mpumalanga Communications Division. Pictures by ChrisplPhoto.