Proposal to officially open a Master's program in Tourism Studies

On April 14, 2009, the University of Social Sciences and Humanities held a conference to summarize the results of three pilot master's degree programs in Tourism Studies.

The conference aimed to evaluate the results achieved during the implementation of this pilot program, assess the social demand for this level of training, gather feedback from faculty, lecturers, and students participating in the training process, and propose recommendations for the Vietnam National University, Hanoi to officially recognize the Master's program in Tourism Studies. Assoc. Prof. Dr. Lam Ba Nam - Vice Rector of the University - chaired the conference.

In 2003, Vietnam National University, Hanoi (VNU) assigned the Faculty of Tourism to develop and implement a master's program in Tourism Studies. On July 4, 2003, the Director of VNU issued Decision No. 154/SĐH promulgating the framework and detailed program for master's training in Tourism Studies. To date, after 6 years of pilot training, the Faculty has trained 3 cohorts, 1 cohort has already received their graduation thesis topics, and 2 cohorts are currently studying specialized topics. There are 151 students who have studied or are currently studying for a master's degree in Tourism Studies at the Faculty.

In his concluding report at the conference, Associate Professor Dr. Nguyen Pham Hung affirmed: “The current Master's program in Tourism Studies has met the requirements and demands of practice, and is up-to-date with postgraduate tourism training programs at universities in Vietnam, the region, and around the world. The content and duration of the courses are compatible with the training objectives and requirements, as well as the capabilities of the learners.” The results of the first three Master's programs in Tourism Studies were also very positive, with 100% of the students (73 people) achieving good or excellent grades, and over 90% of the theses receiving excellent or outstanding results. The theses were assessed as high-quality, and many have made significant contributions to the development of tourism science and tourism practice in Vietnam.

[img class="caption" src="images/stories/2009/04/15/img_4832.jpg" border="0" alt="Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nguyen Pham Hung: The need for postgraduate training in tourism to serve society is very great." title="Assoc. Prof. Dr. Nguyen Pham Hung: The need for postgraduate training in tourism to serve society is very great." width="240" height="160" align="right" ]

Associate Professor Dr. Nguyen Pham Hung also believes that the need for postgraduate training in tourism to serve society is very large. The source of students for the faculty's postgraduate program is quite stable and diverse. The student body participating in this program is quite broad, with many specializations and economic and social fields. Those trained can undertake jobs such as: teaching, research at tourism training institutions, management at various levels in state agencies related to tourism, and running tourism businesses. In fact, although it is only a pilot program, the number of applicants is quite high, with nearly 50 applications each year, equivalent to 6% of the total number of applications for postgraduate studies in the 26 training programs of the entire university.

During the training process, the Faculty effectively managed and organized the learning for students, creating opportunities for them to participate in the Faculty's professional activities, conduct research with supervising teachers, guide students in writing scientific reports, and supervise practical internships. The Faculty has also initially built a fairly comprehensive system of lectures and reference materials for the subjects, and has begun experimenting with developing electronic lectures and textbooks. In addition to permanent staff, the Faculty has mobilized a large force of educators and scientists in tourism from across the country to participate in the postgraduate training process. They come from universities, colleges, research institutes, tourism management agencies, tourism departments, and tourism associations.

At the request of Vietnam National University, Hanoi, the Faculty of Tourism Studies sent questionnaires to many partner organizations that employ the faculty's postgraduate graduates, as well as to its graduates, seeking their feedback on the quality of postgraduate training. All responses were positive. Overall, the Faculty's training programs were highly regarded and effectively met societal demands.

Based on an analysis of the capacity and conditions for organizing training, an assessment of social needs for the training program, and the results achieved during the 6-year pilot implementation, the Faculty of Tourism has officially proposed the following to the University of Social Sciences and Humanities and Vietnam National University, Hanoi:

• Open a separate program for a Master's degree in Tourism Studies.
• Strengthening infrastructure, especially facilities and equipment for vocational training;
• Allow research into establishing a tourism experimental center within the faculty;
• Increase the number of teaching staff to ensure sufficient human resources for undergraduate and postgraduate training programs;
• Create more opportunities for faculty members to exchange ideas, undertake internships, and receive training abroad.