MA students excel at international forum
Students on the MA Experience Economy: Hospitality and Tourism Management course at HSE’s Moscow campus, who graduated from the Management Faculty at HSE Perm have been praised by international experts for their contribution to major international conferences.
Students on the MA Experience Economy: Hospitality and Tourism Management course at HSE’s Moscow campus, who graduated from the Management Faculty at HSE Perm have been praised by international experts for their contribution to major international conferences.
A report by HSE Perm graduate and graduate student on the HSE MA Experience Economy: Hospitality and Tourism Management course Anastasia Salina has been awarded top prize at the 76th TOSOK Gangneung International Tourism Conference. The conference was held in Gangneung, South Korea, and was dedicated to the 2018 Winter Olympics.
Last winter the travel agency TUI, which partners with HSE Moscow’s Experience Economy: Hospitality and Tourism Management MA course, invited MA students to work at the Olympic Games and offered them the opportunity to carry out academic research on-site. The survey carried out by Anastasia Salina during the Games became the base of her research into the influence of sporting event quality on the reputation of host destination.
The student outlined the results of her research in her presentation ‘Sport-centric Tourism: Do Buzzer-beaters Matter?’ at the international conference. ‘I not only had the chance to give the presentation and get valuable advice for my dissertation, but also to familiarize myself with the latest research on similar themes and expand my knowledge of the area I am researching. I am very glad that I had the opportunity to represent HSE in a worthy fashion, especially as it was our university’s first time at the conference,’ Anastasia said.
Another HSE Perm Management Faculty graduate and HSE MA student on the Experience Economy: Hospitality and Tourism Management course, Natalia Polkanova, took part in the IV International Conference on Tourism Management and Tourism Related Issues, which was held in September in Rome.
Natalya’s presentation was on the ‘Assessment of tourism destinations’ attractiveness in Spain: A content-analysis of Russian internet resources’.
‘This project was a logical continuation of my course work and the basis of my MA dissertation. It is important to note that the atmosphere at the conference was very warm, this helped me feel more supported, and less nervous before I gave my talk. I would also like to say that there were informal events for conference participants in lovely Italian restaurants in the evenings, at which we could socialize with professors and talk with them about academic issues,’ Natalya said.
The Academic Supervisor of the Experience Economy: Hospitality and Tourism Management MA course Marina Predvoditeleva notes that the students from HSE Perm who gave presentations in this field boasted excellent preparation. ‘This was clearly apparent and serves as a solid foundation for success in their MA studies. I am glad that two HSE Perm graduates have been so successful in their research, that they can present their findings at international – not student – conferences. Academic research develops skills such as the search for and analysis of information, writing texts, preparing presentations, and outlining results – including before an international audience – and the ability to set out the essence of the issues within a very limited time. This is a valuable contribution to your career, it is additional capital, and it lasts a lifetime,’ Marina said.
The Academic Supervisor noted that two more HSE Perm graduates, 1st year MA students Elesta Teimirova and Polina Leonova have also performed well. ‘They have only been studying a month, but it is already quite clear that they have a very strong educational foundation and motivation. Elesta will be employed on a part time basis in one of Moscow’s finest hotels, the Marriott Royal Aurora, which partners with our educational track.’