By: Naransuvd Bazarsad
Edited by: Rumaisha Ghina
In 2023, APU is expected to welcome its new college, the College of Sustainability and Tourism, along with additional reforms to the current curriculum of Asia Pacific Studies (APS). This new reform is expected to take place starting in April of next year, with enrollment applications already opened and currently accepting new students.
The College of Sustainability and Tourism (ST) is one of the first major changes in the current curriculum of APU since its establishment in 1999. While the current College of Asia Pacific Studies has four main areas of concentration, ST will have nine different concentrations, pertaining to a more varied and condensed selection of studies that applicants can choose.
The concentrations of the College of ST include:
Environmental Studies- Fundamental study of nature, society, economy, and education.
Resource Management- Learning focused on recycling-oriented societies, energy, and climate change.
International Development- Learning focused on developmental sociology, anthropology, economics, political science, and conflict.
Tourism Studies- Fundamental study of tourism related to economics, society, history, and culture.
Tourism Industry Operations- Fundamental study of tourism industry analysis, new product creation, and marketing.
Hospitality Operation- Learning focused on hotels and resort operations.
Social Entrepreneurship- Learning related to NGO/NPO operation and project management.
Regional Development- Learning focused on sustainable development and design of local regions through the lens of tourism.
Data Science & Information System- Learning focused on fundamental ICT skills and applications in specialized fields.
The variety of concentrations presents a combination of the current modules of Hospitality & Tourism and Environment & Development Studies with more sustainability employment as a main component. To learn more about the College of ST, we interviewed Professor Bui Thanh Huong, who specializes in Tourism Studies and Social Psychology at the College of APS and is also a prominent figure in establishing the new college.
“Sustainability and Tourism have to be promoted together...It has been proven that after the pandemic, there was a change in consumption, travel, and mindset of consumers- More interest in sustainability and concern for the future has been emerging. The pandemic actually triggered a lot of changes in people’s perception of the future. Because COVID-19 has significantly affected the tourism industry, as a way of restarting it, a broader role of sustainability needs to be aligned. Thus, this new college has very much kept up with the current trend in development thinking and psychological shift after the pandemic.” says Professor Bui.
According to Professor Bui, one of the significant factors for establishing ST was the movement toward the United Nations’ emphasis on Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). Because Tourism utilizes both natural and human resources, these factors are crucial in many development initiatives; focusing studies on its sustainability gives a more meaningful approach to the agenda of the SGDs.
“The curriculum of the College of Sustainability and Tourism was designed based on APU’s strength and competitiveness, as well as the multicultural and multidisciplinary approach. The new college is rather a version of the current APU curriculum, involving the strength of both APS and APM, and applying a more helpful program for students to utilize in the future, rather than a brand new syllabus.”, she adds.
You may have noticed that Data Science & Information Systems is a new area that has not been exclusively studied at APU. The decision to add this new concentration stems from the growing implications of the digital world and information literacy in our daily lives. Students are expected to be cultivated in computer skills, as the tech industry is on the rise.
“The growing interest in digitization and IT has been expedited during the pandemic and we recognize that digital literacy, together with a sustainable mindset will prepare students for future competitiveness in the job market.” - Professor Bui.
A crucial goal of establishing the College of ST is to foster students in a more cross-disciplinary environment, not only obtaining a foundation in social sciences but also gaining a basis for management skills. This change is able to simultaneously offer a more focused program of studies and prepare students with basic fundamental skills.
The establishment of the College of ST also brings changes to the current College of APS. With the departure of Environment & Development Studies, and Hospitality and Tourism, the College of APS is expected to have 3 areas of study:
International Relations
Culture, Society, and Media
Global Economy
While the curriculum will slightly adjust areas of studies from the current College of APS, Professor Bui adds that “the core value of APS will remain unchanged, rather strengthened by more centralized theoretical studies and social focuses.”
A wide selection of courses will be added to the syllabus, where students can participate in a more multidisciplinary manner.
“We want to emphasize that APU envisions a “One APU”...the new college is a part of the APU identity, it doesn’t mean that mean that the new college will replace the college of APS or APM, but it fulfills a certain gap between the colleges..and adds on to the new APU identity.”, concluded Professor Bui.
APU Times would like to express the highest gratitude and appreciation to Professor Bui Thanh Huong for their contribution to this article.