Jha conferred Doctor Honoris Causa by Ukrainian institution

05 Jun 2019    

Dipra Jha, associate professor of practice in Hospitality, Restaurant and Tourism Management has been conferred Doctor Honoris Causa by Kyiv Cooperative Institute of Business and Law during a recent sabbatical visit to Ukraine. Jha was invited by the Institute to deliver a guest lecture for students, faculty and guests on May 6, 2019. He also met with faculty and senior administrators to explore areas of potential collaboration.

“The Academic Council of our Institute unanimously decided to confer the rare and distinguished recognition of Doctor Honoris Causa to Professor Dipra Jha for his outstanding contributions to hospitality education and international collaboration,” said Tetiana Kaminska, Rector of Kyiv Cooperative Institute of Business and Law. “This Diploma accords him visiting faculty rank at our institution for life and we look forward to benefiting from his knowledge and expertise.”

Established in 1920, the Kyiv Cooperative Institute of Business and Law (KCIBL) is a leading higher education institution in Ukraine. The Institute offers Diploma, Bachelor’s, Master’s and Doctoral programs in Law, Business, Economics, Accounting and Taxation, Food Technologies, Finance, Banking and Insurance, Entrepreneurship, Trade and Stock Exchange, Computer Engineering, Hotel and Restaurant Business, and Marketing. KCIBL is a member of Visegrad University Association (VUA) and Association of University Leaders for a Sustainable Future (ULSF).

Ukraine (population 45 million) considers tourism and hospitality vital to its national economy with more than 14 million tourists visiting the country annually. According to the World Travel and Tourism Council, tourism receipts for Ukraine exceeded $1.4 billion in 2017 and the sector supported 228,000 jobs.

“The College of Education and Human Sciences is exceptionally proud of Dr. Jha’s achievements as a national and international leader in tourism and hospitality. His mastery of luxury hospitality strategies has created unique opportunities for collaboration with other nations and cultures; he brings the world home to Nebraska,” commented Beth Doll, interim dean. “This honorary doctorate from Ukraine’s Kyiv Cooperative Institute of Business and Law is a rare and distinguished honor that recognizes his continued contributions to the discipline and to the University of Nebraska.”

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 2016 totaled over $731.5 million. Hospitality, Restaurant and Tourism Management is one of the fastest growing majors at Nebraska and resides jointly in CEHS 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.