University of The Bahamas and University of South Carolina Beaufort Partner to Strengthen Hospitality, Tourism

8^thMarch 2022

University of The Bahamas (UB) has forged a new partnership with a leader in hospitality and tourism management that will create new opportunities for experiential learning and raise service excellence and innovation in the sector.

Graduates of UB have been at the forefront of progressive changes in the industry. The newly inked Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the University of South Carolina Beaufort (USCB) will further expose students to global standards and cultural exchange opportunities. The agreement also provides for research studies and faculty exchanges.

USCB is part of the University of South Carolina system, a top 10 in the United States for hospitality and tourism management. UB’s newly named College of Tourism, Hospitality, Culinary Arts and Leisure Management is destined to become one of the University’s centres of excellence and under the agreement will be the conduit for the participation of students, faculty and staff.

“We view partnerships with national and international institutions, as an essential part of carrying out our mission. International partnerships also allow for necessary growth, exposure to new and different things to help facilitate innovation, and encourage further diversity,” UB President Dr. Rodney D. Smith said in announcing the partnership.

USCB Chancellor Dr. Al M. Panu added that both institutions understand the years of preparation that undergird the business of hospitality. That preparation begins long before professionals enter the sector.

“To have such an opportunity for students to truly understand and appreciate the history, culture, traditions, and ethos of another country – of another people – is pivotal to their growth as 21st-century global citizens,” said Chancellor Panu. “I am proud of our new collaboration. I am eager to welcome Bahamian students to Hilton Head Island and to watch my students “Fly Away” to their experiential learning adventures here in New Providence.”

Under the MoU, students, staff, faculty will be afforded a wider range of options for achieving their educational, professional, and research goals. This will be done via collaborations on curriculum development initiatives; transfer of credits; and faculty, staff, and student exchanges for cultural enrichment, study abroad experiences, internships, attachments, and teaching. The new partnership also facilitates collaboration in the publication of scholarly documents and the exchange of instructional materials, educational research, and other educational expertise.

Chancellor Panu said he looks forward to the student exchange component of the new agreement coming to fruition as he complimented The Bahamas on being a “world-class destination”.

“Hospitality is both art and science – a data-driven set of skills that must be carefully and continuously researched, studied, practiced, and perfected. Behind every smile, every courtesy, every beautifully designed guest room, every delectable morsel of cracked conch is a mountain of data that has been skillfully collected, analyzed, and masterfully translated into the seemingly effortless best-in-class experiences that lure visitors from every corner of the Earth,” he said.

USCB has three campuses in Bluffton, Beaufort, and Hilton Head Island. The latter campus is entirely dedicated to hospitality and is the training ground for students who study, work, and hold internships in hotel, restaurant, tourism, and event management in a world-class resort destination that attracts more than 2 million visitors every year.

As UB continues to transform into a world-class institution, partnerships like the one forged with USCB are vital to giving students the knowledge and skills that they need to make industries more robust and resilient.

Office of University Relations
University of The Bahamas
2^ndFloor, Michael H. Eldon Complex
Oakes Field Campus
P.O. Box N-4912
Nassau, The Bahamas
Tel: (242) 302-4355/4354/4365

Chartered on 10th November 2016, University of The Bahamas (UB) is a beacon for national transformation. Approximately 5,000 students are enrolled in the University of The Bahamas system which includes campuses and centres on New Providence, Grand Bahama, and San Salvador, as well as UB online education. UB’s diverse academic programmes, research engagements, athletics and leadership development experiences equip our students to become global citizens in a dynamic world.