Oxford Cultural Collective leading on development of new educational institute in Bangladesh
7th September, 2020
The Oxford Cultural Collective is working in partnership with Daffodil International University (DIU), Dhaka, Bangladesh, to create a new educational institute – the Daffodil Oxford Centre of Excellence for Hospitality (DOCEH) – which will make a significant and distinctive contribution to higher education, to the international hospitality industry and to Bangladeshi society. This initiative forms part of OCC’s wider agenda of promoting progressive forms of education in the fields of hospitality and the culinary arts.
DOCEH aims to be a respected educational institute that serves the following objectives:
- To prepare students for successful, fulfilling careers in the international hospitality industry and related fields of work. DIU already offers one specialist degree programme in hospitality management, but with the creation of DOCEH it will expand its provision and embed a new form of pedagogy which combines hands-on, experiential learning, with rigorous theoretical study.
- To lead conversations about the future of the hospitality and tourism industries in Bangladesh. Formed as an alliance between academics, representatives of industry and government, DOCEH will promote new thinking on the development of hospitality and tourism in Bangladesh, in ways that impact positively on communities, the natural environment and reputation.
- To shape positive perceptions of Bangladeshi culture, internationally. Using the country’s rich culinary heritage as one of its primary tools, DOCEH will engage an international audience in the exploration and celebration of Bangladeshi culture.
- To make a positive civic contribution. DOCEH’s civic contribution will be focused on two particular areas – the empowerment of young women working and studying in the fields of hospitality and the culinary arts; and the promotion of social enterprise, focused in the fields of hospitality, gastronomy and tourism, as a means of tackling challenges facing Bangladeshi society.
- To form meaningful international partnerships, to the benefit of students and all other stakeholders. DOCEH will form working partnerships with universities internationally to enable students to study and undertake internships abroad.
Daffodil International Symposium on Hospitality (10th September 2020)
On 10th September 2020, Daffodil International University (DIU) will host an online international symposium that will bring together senior representatives from the hospitality industry, government and academia, as well as notable figures from the UK hospitality industry, to address critical issues facing hospitality education in Bangladesh. This event will also mark the forthcoming launch of the Daffodil Oxford Centre of Excellence for Hospitality.
The event will be chaired by Donald Sloan of the Oxford Cultural Collective, and contributors will include the Mr Sabur Khan, Chairman of the Daffodil Group; Mr Gowher Rizvy, Senior Adviser to the Prime Minister of Bangladesh; the Bangladeshi Minister of Tourism and the Minister of Expatriates’ Welfare and Overseas Employment; and the Vice Chancellor of Daffodil International University.
From the UK, contributors to this event will include Aktar Islam, chef and owner of Michelin-starred Opheem in Birmingham; Dina Begum, chef and food writer and champion of Bangladeshi culture; Atul Kochhar, Michelin-starred chef and television personality; Anna Pollock, tourism industry strategist; Professor Una McMahon Beattie, Head of the Department of Hospitality and Tourism Management, Ulster University; and Robert Chatterton-Dickson, the British High Commissioner to Bangladesh.
For more details, and to register to attend this online event, follow this link.