REFORMING HOSPITALITY EDUCATION TO FULFILL THE INDUSTRY EXPECTATIONS: A CASE OF UNIVERSITI UTARA MALAYSIA

The study of hospitality is considered important due to the fact that it is a vital industry in the service sector. Malaysia has developed the hospitality education program to fulfill the country vision in expanding human resources particularly in the tourism and hospitality industry. One of the educational institutions in Malaysia which focuses on the hospitality education is Universiti Utara Malaysia. This article describes an in-depth study involving seven experts in the hospitality industry. The purpose of the study was to explore their perceptions regarding the hospitality education program particularly in terms of fulfilling the industry requirements and expectations. The experts found that the curriculum consists of several courses which eventually fulfill the needs of the hospitality industry and suggested several aspects to strengthen the program in order to survive the future challenges.