SHL Students Link with Lebanon Students

A section of the School of Hospitality Leadership’s (SHL) HMGT 3200 Dimensions of Tourism course linked with Modern University for Business and Science (MUBS) in Beirut, Lebanon. The course is part of ECU’s Global Understanding Program and connects SHL students with students and programs all over the globe. This semester the students have linked and completed projects with students from Colombia, China and now for the first time with students from Lebanon.

The Global Understanding Program is sponsored through Global Academic Initiatives and Emerging Academic Initiatives and courses are taught within a variety of disciplines to provide a more global point of view for the students both here at ECU and at our sixty partner universities in thirty countries. Students have the opportunity to learn about other cultures without the expense of studying abroad.

HMGT 3200 covers a variety of topics related to tourism including tourism organizations, culture, diversity, safety and security, sustainable hospitality and tourism, product development, and tourism in the future. Additionally, students teamed with their Lebanese classmates, complete projects addressing the similarities and differences of Lebanon and North Carolina/USA tourism, foods, attractions, markets etc.  Dr. Cynthia Deale is the instructor for the course and has been working with the global classroom for several years.