Alanya Hamdullah Emin Paşa University (AHEP), which will welcome its first students in the 2014-2015 academic year with the 'Tourism Management' and 'Gastronomy and Culinary Arts' departments opened under the Faculty of Tourism, and the 'Architecture' department opened under the Faculty of Art and Design, will provide very important contributions to Alanya tourism.
From the AHEP management, Rector Erol Sayın, Head of the Tourism Management Department Jansanem Jular, and Gastronomy and Culinary Arts Department Lecturer Zelal Polat visited the Alanya Association of Tourism Professionals (ALTİD) and provided information about the university.
‘TARGET: 5 THOUSAND STUDENTS’
AHEP Rector Professor Doctor Erol Sayın, stating that they will enter the academic year with nearly 20 academic staff, primarily including 5 professors, 1 associate professor, and 8 assistant professors, said, “We will begin our first academic year (2014-2015) with 180 students, 45 of whom are international. Our goal is to reach a number of 3 thousand undergraduate and 2 thousand graduate students within 5 years. Because we are a boutique university and also aim to provide high-quality education, we will not exceed the number of 5 thousand students.”
‘FACULTY OF ARCHITECTURE WILL ALSO BE OPENED’
Providing information regarding the faculties and departments to be opened, the Rector stated, “It is planned to open the ‘Civil Aviation Management’ department in the Faculty of Tourism in 2015, and the ‘Graphic Design and Animation’ department in the Faculty of Art and Design in 2015, followed by the ‘Music’ and ‘Stage and Performing Arts Management’ departments in 2017. On the other hand, it is aimed to establish the ‘Interior Architecture and Environmental Design’ and ‘Industrial Product Design’ departments within the Faculty of Architecture, which is planned to open in 2016.”
‘ENGLISH EDUCATION IS AVAILABLE’
The Rector stated the following information: “AHEP University aims to train qualified graduates who are proficient in at least one foreign language, open to innovations, and capable of following and implementing the opportunities offered by technology for the tourism sector, with an education language that is 100% English.
‘STUDENTS WILL GAIN EXPERIENCE IN THE TOURISM SECTOR’
Unlike other ‘Tourism Management’ programs, there will be three terms in an academic year at AHEP. Starting from their first year, our students will gain experience in the sector by taking internships and practical application courses every year during the summer months, and they will graduate with this experience. As a result of our academic calendar being adjusted according to the tourism season, our students will both receive practical training in businesses located in Alanya and fill the shortage of qualified personnel during the most intensive periods. Our undergraduate curriculum, again unlike its counterparts, focuses on planning and cost control.
‘PRE-REGISTRATION HAS STARTED’
The Faculty of Tourism’s ‘Gastronomy and Culinary Arts’ department will provide added value to the sector through academic services, as well as project and consultancy services and professional development training, in collaboration with organizations such as Electrolux and the Altın Kepçe Chefs Association. The special talent exams for the department, for which pre-registrations have now begun, will be held on July 1-3.
‘SECTOR REPRESENTATIVES WILL GIVE A LESSON’
In addition to our faculty members with international experience in our full-time teaching staff, industry representatives will both provide lectures and transfer their knowledge and experience to our students as guest speakers. Through the organic collaborations we will establish with institutions and organizations such as ALTİD, our graduating students will have been trained as experienced personnel, and a university–industry bridge will have been established.”
‘THE BIG GAP WILL BE CLOSED’
Burhan Sili, Member of the Board of Directors of the Turkish Hotel Association (TÜROFED) and President of ALTİD, stated that Alanya and the country's tourism require scientific studies that will shed light on the future, saying, “AHEP University, which will provide English-language education, will close a major gap in Alanya. Closing the shortage of qualified personnel, which is a top priority in the tourism sector, through universities will elevate the tourism quality of both the region and the country to higher levels.”