Promoting internship activities associated with businesses at the Faculty of Tourism, Dai Nam University

Training associated with enterprises is an inevitable trend of the new era. With the goal of "theory combined with practice", since its establishment, the Faculty of Tourism of Dai Nam University has affirmed its position as one of the first Faculties to own practice facilities such as Hotels and Travel Centers for students to both study and practice.

Right from the beginning, the Faculty of Tourism has prioritized the development of learners’ capacity through selecting learners with good moral qualities, a sense of responsibility and high pressure tolerance. With a dynamic learning environment, the Faculty always creates conditions for students to both study theory and practice, and to intern right from the first year of university. Thereby helping learners apply knowledge in class into practice and gradually form professional capacity.

The Faculty of Tourism of Dai Nam University affirms its position by owning Hotels and Travel Centers for students to both study and practice.

At the Faculty of Tourism, students will be trained at 3-star and 5-star hotels of Dai Nam University such as: Hung Long Hotel - Tu Son, Bac Ninh; Lotus Legend Hotel, 197 Tran Phu, Ha Dong, Hanoi; Rosamia - Da Nang (5-star hotel with international standards managed and operated by Dai Nam University)... Not only owning a system of "classy" practice hotels, the Faculty of Tourism is also a pioneer in establishing a Travel Practice Center as a practice facility for students.

Students are "hands-on" at Lotus Legend Hotel.

Students of the Faculty of Tourism practice and intern at the school's 5-star Rosamia Danang Hotel.

Compared to just studying theory, students will have to spend 4 more years after graduation for businesses to retrain them. But with the practical hotel model, linking internships with businesses, the Faculty of Tourism of Dai Nam University has shortened the 8-year program to 4 years to provide both theoretical and practical training, so that students can become managers right after graduation, and businesses do not have to retrain them.

With a specialized set of skills for the Hotel sector, when practicing at the enterprise, students not only get to do the work like a real employee but also get to be guided, instructed and corrected promptly by a team of experienced staff when there are incomplete operations. That helps students identify standards and develop their careers early without having to exchange experience due to their own failures.

In addition, practicing in a professional environment creates conditions for students to come into contact with many types of customers, "half-crying, half-laughing" situations... To satisfy customers, students are forced to train themselves in standards of communication, behavior, and situation handling skills...

In the specialized professional group for the Tourism sector, the orientation of the Tourism faculty is that after graduation, students will become tour guides, tour operators, travel agents and specialists in departments and agencies in the Tourism industry. Therefore, through practical activities in departments such as sales staff, operations staff, tour guides, etc., students will effectively link the knowledge they have learned with the actual profession. Thereby, students can experience and perfect their communication skills, explain, handle situations, host, animate, etc. After graduation, students of the Tourism faculty are no longer confused and can immediately start working.

With a practical hotel model, linking internships with businesses, students of the Faculty of Tourism can start working immediately after graduation.

It can be seen that learning now is not only about books but also about 'throwing oneself' into reality. To develop learners' capacity in the most comprehensive and effective way, it is necessary to promote business connections and encourage students to practice a lot. This is the 'guiding principle' in the training program, creating the brand of the Faculty of Tourism, Dai Nam University.

MSc. Nguyen Truong Huy – Lecturer of Tourism Faculty