Front row, from left: Prof Dato’ Aileen Tan, Prof Tudor, YB Tuan Wong and Prof Choong Chee Keong with researchers from the participating universities
Exploring the world, while seemingly ordinary, remains an eminently enriching aspiration for those seeking to expand their Weltanschauung. The rapid advancement of transportation in recent centuries has brought this dream closer to reality through tourism. Nevertheless, the abrupt emergence of the COVID-19 pandemic in the last decade highlighted the urgent need to revamp tourism with sustainable and smart technologies to cope with our ever-evolving global landscape.
Aiming to strengthen the role of higher education institutions in smart tourism, a team of UTAR Faculty of Business and Finance (FBF) academics recently participated in the third Transnational Project Meeting (TPM) of the Erasmus SOHO (Smart, Optimised, High-quality, and On-demand) Tourism Innovative Education for Sustainable and Green Development 2023-2026 project.
The third TPM was organised on 5 and 6 December 2024 via physical and online settings, in Penang, Malaysia. The meeting on the first day was held at the Gurney Bay Hotel in Penang while the meeting on the second day was held at the Centre for Marine and Coastal Studies (CEMACS), Teluk Bahang in Penang. The meeting aimed to support the development of education and training resources for industry professionals in emerging areas such as smart transportation, sustainable accommodation and renewable energy to promote environmental sustainability and technological advancements.
Representing UTAR at the third TPM were UTAR Vice President for Student Development and Alumni Relations Prof Dr Choong Chee Keong, Institute of Postgraduate Studies and Research (IPSR) of Kampar Campus Deputy Director Assoc Prof Dr Choong Yuen Onn, FBF Deputy Dean for R&D and Postgraduate Programmes Prof Dr Abdelhak Senadjki; and FBF academics Assoc Prof Dr Seow Ai Na, Prof Dr Lau Lin Sea, and Dr Lam Siew Yong.
From left: Prof Choong Chee Keong, Dr Choong Yuen Onn, Dr Seow, Dr Lam, Prof Lau and Prof Abdelhak
The meeting was inaugurated with welcome remarks by CEMACS Director Prof Dato’ Dr Aileen Tan, UTAR Vice President Prof Choong Chee Keong, and the State Secretary of the Romanian Ministry of Research, Innovation and Digitalisation Prof Dr Tudor Prisecaru.
During the meeting, Prof Dr Dima Gabriel from the National University of Science and Technology POLITEHNICA Bucharest, Romania, presented a comprehensive overview of the project’s achievements, highlighting its commitment to enhancing tourism growth via sustainability.
Penang State EXCO for Tourism and Creative Economy YB Tuan Wong Hon Wai also shared Penang’s vision and efforts to integrate green initiatives into its flourishing tourism sector, highlighting the state’s commitment to becoming a global leader in sustainable tourism.
The meeting at CEMACS saw keen discussions on the SOHO Project’s future actions. Besides briefly discussing the practical insights into marine conservation, the participating researchers also finalised agreements on timelines, responsibilities and dissemination strategies for the next phase of the project, emphasising cross-border collaboration as key to positioning tourism as a driver of sustainable development.
From left: Prof Abdelhak, Prof Lau, Prof Choong Chee Keong, Dr Seow and Dr Choong Yuen Onn at the Grand Ballroom of the Gurney Bay Hotel
The Erasmus SOHO Project
The SOHO Project is a global project planned to unfold over three years, commencing in December 2024 and concluding in December 2026. It is supported under the European Union’s Erasmus Grant+ Programme, with an estimated funding amount of RM4million. Through establishing Knowledge and Competence Centers (KCCs) in Vietnam, Malaysia, and Bangladesh, the project serves as a cross-border platform to build an educational framework that equips tourism professionals with the tools and knowledge to innovate while minimising environmental impact.
Spearheaded by the National University of Science and Technology POLITEHNICA Bucharest, Romania, the international collaboration unites a consortium of nine universities across the globe.
The participating institutions in the Erasmus SOHO Project are as follows:
The first and second TPMs were organised in Italy (26 & 27 January 2024) and Vietnam (18 & 19 July 2024) respectively.
The gatherings marked significant milestones for not only sustainable tourism and education, but also international collaboration. They signified a shared commitment towards the advancement of innovation, collectively paving the way for a sustainable future in the tourism sector.
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