HRTM's Jha delivers prestigious lecture in India

27 Feb 2018    

Dipra Jha, assistant professor of practice in Hospitality, Restaurant and Tourism Management, traveled to India to deliver a Guru Series lecture at Shoolini University on Feb. 12, 2018. The prestigious lecture series invites experts from around the world to engage with students, faculty and staff at the university’s picturesque campus in Solan, Northern India. Previous Guru Series speakers include Dr. APJ Abdul Kalam, the 11^th president of the Republic of India; German biochemist and Nobel Laureate Robert Huber; the spiritual leader Sri Sri Ravi Shankar; and American economist and World Food Prize winner Howarth Bouis. 

Jha’s lecture focused on the future of work and how automation and augmented intelligence are reshaping careers as well as creating new opportunities. He also emphasized the role of leadership, emotional intelligence and communication, all of which are integral to managing people in diverse workplaces. The lecture was followed by Q&A during which Jha engaged with students and faculty and answered their questions. 

“We at Shoolini University were delighted to invite Professor Dipra Jha as a Guru Series speaker,” said Atul Khosla, pro-vice chancellor, Shoolini University. “This lecture series provides a platform for intellectual discourse and lifelong learning, and students and faculty at Shoolini greatly benefitted from interacting with Professor Jha during his stay on campus. We thank him for sharing his knowledge with us and look forward to expanding our collaboration with the University of Nebraska–Lincoln.”

Founded in 2009, Shoolini University is a non-profit, private institution of higher learning focusing on engineering and technology, biotechnology, management sciences and liberal arts, pharmaceutical, and basic sciences. Its modern campus is located in the State of Himachal Pradesh amidst mid-Himalayan mountains and currently enrolls 3,200 students. Shoolini was established on a research-driven model that seeks to blend expertise in life sciences and engineering with the principles and practices of business management to create exceptionally skilled future leaders. The university aspires to be an internationally recognized center for research and education and to be in the top 200 global universities by 2022.

During his stay on campus, Jha also conducted a faculty development workshop on pedagogical trends for the faculty of Management Sciences and Liberal Arts. He met with university officials and discussed opportunities for collaboration between Shoolini University’s School of Hospitality and Hotel Management and UNL’s Hospitality, Restaurant and Tourism Management program. Tourism is a prime economic driver for the State of Himachal Pradesh. The Energy and Resources Institute (2013) estimates contribution of tourism at 26 percent to Himachal Pradesh’s gross domestic product. The State attracted 19.6 million tourists in 2017 and among its many attractions is the mountain resort of Dharamsala, home to the Dalai Lama.

Tourism is Nebraska’s third largest earner of revenue from outside the state after agriculture and manufacturing; bringing in excess of $4.9 billion annually and supporting 47,449 jobs. According to the U.S. Travel Association, tax revenues generated by domestic and international travelers in Nebraska in 2015 totaled over $705 million. Hospitality, Restaurant and Tourism Management is one of the fastest growing majors at Nebraska and resides jointly in the College of Education and Human Sciences and the College of Agricultural Sciences and Natural Resources. Students have the opportunity to choose among several emphasis areas within the major: club management, event planning, food and beverage, human resources, lodging, and tourism.