Study in Greece Masters of the Week: Associate Professor Korina Katsaliaki on the MSc in Hospitality and Tourism Management at ΙΗU

The web portal Study in Greece is campaigning for the promotion and international visibility of Greek Universities and the comparative educational advantages of our country. In particular, the campaign focuses on the foreign language study programs that Greek Universities offer to Greek and international students. The initiative is supported by the General Secretariat of Higher Education of the Ministry of Education and Religious Affairs and the General Secretariat for Greeks Abroad and Public Diplomacy of the Ministry for Foreign Affairs. In this context, a number of educational programs and actions are presented in detail on a regular basis, such as undergraduate and postgraduate programs, summer schools etc, to inform international students about the many foreign language options offered by Greek Universities.

Study in Greece interviewed Associate Professor Korina Katsaliaki, Director of the MSc in Hospitality and Tourism Management offered at the International Hellenic University (ΙΗU) about the program, its features and what it has to offer to international students.

Korina Katsaliaki is Associate Professor of Operations Management in Services at the School of Humanities, Social Sciences and Economics at the University Center of International Programs of Studies of International Hellenic University. She gained an MSc in Management Sciences and a PhD from the University of Southampton. Her research interests include health services research, business analytics and simulation modeling methodologies, the analysis and modeling of supply chains, the analysis and development of business games and bibliometric analysis in the above thematic areas.

Ms Katsaliaki, would you please briefly describe the spirit and the objectives of the MSc in Hospitality and Tourism Management which is offered by the International Hellenic University and it is now open for applications?

The program provides expertise in tourism with a practical orientation related to management and strategic issues in the fast-evolving tourism sector at the national and international level.

Given that the program is exclusively taught in English, tell us why is it aimed at international students?

Tourism in Greece constitutes the “heavy industry” of the country, and what could be better for any graduate around the world than to be taught Tourism and Hospitality by an International University in Greece to embark on a thrilling career with global appeal.

Considering that tourism constitutes one of the main pillars of Greek economy, is there any connection between the program and the world of the tourism industry?

The program has strong ties with the tourism industry in Greece and abroad. We frequently organize events with tourism organizations like the Thessaloniki Tourism Organization, SETE (the Greek tourism confederation), hotels associations and many more, joined also by renowned speakers from abroad such as Dr Marc Stierand, former chef in Michelin-starred restaurants and Associate Professor of Service Management and the Director of the Institute of Business Creativity at EHL and Prof Dimitris Bouhalis, the Director of the eTourismLab Bournemouth University and practitioners related to hospitality and tourism industry.

What will be the professional prospects for the graduates, especially in Greece?

The program is designed for those who aim for a managerial career in the travel and tourism business, lodging, restaurants, food services, convention centers, or related industries such as museums/heritage centers, travel agencies, real estate, government agencies and many more. All these business sectors are currently blooming in Greece and are in need of highly educated and competent international personnel and entrepreneurs to offer the best experience to visitors.

Tell us a few words about the International Hellenic University – its departments, its facilities, and its scientific projects for the future.

The International Hellenic University (IHU) was established in 2005 offering postgraduate studies taught exclusively in English. Since 2019, it has been integrated with other higher academic units of northern Greece and it is now the third biggest university in Greece with 58,000 students studying in its 9 Schools undergraduate programs in Greek and postgraduate programs in Greek and in English. The university academic units and services are spread in its 7 campuses. The University incorporates student services such as libraries, careers office, IT services and many more. The University’s Research Unit currently supports hundreds of research projects in different scientific fields. Many of them aim at developing new technological applications.

What is your opinion about the extroversion and internationalization of Greek Universities? Tell us about the benefits for local communities and universities.

Part of the IHU is the University Center of International Programs of Studies which offers more than 25 master’s programs taught exclusively in English. The aim is to attract students from abroad but also Greek students who seek an international career path. Therefore, the extroversion and internationalization is in the core of IHU. Other Greek Universities have also recently started offering programs taught in English, mainly at the master’s level. It is also worth mentioning the very successful undergraduate program offered by the medical school of Thessaloniki to foreign students. This proves that the internationalization trend is here to stay, and I am sure it will continue to flourish bringing Greece and its outstanding educational system in the heart of international studies.

Note that the application deadline is on 30 September 2023.