Hyderabad: The National Institute of Tourism and Hospitality Management (NITHM) hosted the inaugural session of the SIPAS (Strengthening Industry-Participation in Academia for Sustainable Tourism) Workshop, a significant step towards reforming tourism and hospitality education through international collaboration.
The event began with a traditional dance performance by NITHM students, followed by ceremonial lamp lighting by esteemed dignitaries including N. Prakash Reddy, MD-TGTDC; Zendage Hanumant Kondiba, IAS, Director-NITHM; and key project representatives from India, Latvia, and Portugal.
Dr. P. Thrayambakam introduced the SIPAS initiative, emphasizing its goal to develop skill-based, industry-aligned curricula. Dr. G. Mahender Reddy highlighted the project’s reach across India, Portugal, and Latvia, with 7 work packages designed to enhance student employability and promote global academic exchange.
Also Read-
In his keynote, Zendage Hanumant Kondiba, IAS, called for deeper industry-academia synergy to foster practical, tech-enabled learning. Prof. Sampada Swain, SIPAS Project Manager, Pondicherry University, and other experts underscored the curriculum redesign’s focus on sustainability, stakeholder engagement, and international standards.
Officials from the Telangana Council of Higher Education, Ministry of Tourism, TAAI, and industry leaders like Taj Deccan stressed the importance of digital integration, ethical tourism, foreign language skills, and hands-on training.
The workshop marks a pivotal moment in aligning higher education with industry needs, aiming to benefit over 500 students through skill labs, faculty training, and exchange programs. Total attendee’s were 80 audience.
