As scholar in residence, Jha will be collaborating with colleagues at the Academy to study innovation in the hospitality industry. He will meet with a variety of stakeholders in tourism and hospitality, and present a workshop on customer engagement during his stay in Dubai.
Located on the southeast coast of the Arabian Gulf, Dubai is an international city with a population of 2.65 million. Tourism is one of the key pillars of Dubai’s economy, contributing 20% to its GDP. Dubai is a leading destination for business as well as leisure travelers and it has invested heavily in recent years to develop world class infrastructure. It is home to the largest airport by passenger capacity, as well as the tallest building and the largest shopping mall in the world. It also has the highest concentration of luxury hotels. According to Dubai Corporation of Tourism & Commerce Marketing, the city attracted 14.2 million visitors in 2015 including more than 600,000 travelers from the United States. Dubai’s Tourism Vision 2020 aspires to attract 20 million visitors annually. It will be hosting the World Expo from October 2020 till April 2021 and massive expansion of lodging and transportation capacity is currently underway to accommodate this growth. Dubai is also investing in a global benchmark smart city initiative which will dramatically improve the experience for citizens and visitors alike.
The Emirates Academy of Hospitality Management (EAHM) offers business degrees with a hospitality focus and is considered one of the world's leading hospitality management schools. Programs are offered in academic association with Ecole hôtelière de Lausanne (EHL) in Switzerland, to ensure highest quality of instruction with a global content. The Academy is an integral part of the Jumeirah Group which manages numerous luxury hotel properties around the world. UNL signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Academy in 2013 which led to UNL students participating in education abroad opportunities in Dubai. Jha will be leading an interdisciplinary education abroad program to UAE over spring break 2017 in collaboration with the Academy. Students participating in the program will have the opportunity to stay on the Academy’s campus, experience Emirati culture and food, and learn about Dubai’s transformation from a petroleum-reliant economy to one that is now based on tourism, creative industries and commerce.
“We are delighted to have Prof. Dipra Jha as our 2016 Scholar in Residence at The Academy” said Judy Hou, Managing Director of The Emirates Academy of Hospitality Management (EAHM). “Prof. Jha brings his unique expertise in luxury hospitality and tourism which fits well with our institutional outcomes and our focus in applied research. We look forward to continuing our collaboration with University of Nebraska – Lincoln through similar activities in the future.”
“I am very grateful to Emirates Academy for this prestigious invitation and their most generous hospitality” said Jha. He plans to use knowledge gleaned as scholar in residence at the Academy to enhance and internationalize his courses at UNL.
Tourism is Nebraska’s third largest earner of revenue from outside the state after agriculture and manufacturing; bringing in excess of $4.5 billion annually and supporting 46,000 jobs. According to the U.S. Travel Association, tax revenues generated by domestic and international travelers in Nebraska in 2014 totaled over $627 million. Hospitality, Restaurant and Tourism Management is one of the fastest growing majors at UNL and resides jointly in the College of Education and Human Sciences and the College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources.