From the moment students step into our Faculty of Hospitality and Tourism at Amman Ahliyya University, they are immersed in real-world practice rather than confined to textbooks. In their second and third years, every cohort takes part in the Jordan International Food Festival and similar national showcases, rotating through roles in event logistics, guest services, and kitchen operations under faculty guidance. At the same time, formal agreements with the Ministry of Tourism and leading hotel associations guarantee that each student serves as a guide or coordinator at high-profile exhibitions—an experience prefaced by workshops on cultural protocol and brand representation. For those who demonstrate exceptional professionalism and academic merit, a “Global Ambassadors” program provides intensive boot camps to prepare them for international culinary and hospitality competitions, where they return not only with awards but with a sharpened sense of global best practices.
Parallel to this hands-on industry engagement is a rich program of professional networking and mentorship. Every month, students attend talks by celebrated chefs, general managers, and entrepreneurs who share emerging trends, leadership insights, and sustainability priorities. These sessions are paired with follow-up case-study assignments, ensuring students don’t just listen, but apply fresh ideas to real or simulated operational challenges. Twice each semester, entire classes board buses bound for five-star hotels, boutique restaurants, supply-chain hubs, and food-processing plants. Between front-desk briefings and back-of-house tours, students record field journals and deliver group presentations that deepen their understanding of each site’s business model. Beyond these collective experiences, each student is matched with an industry mentor—often an alumnus or a partner-company executive—who provides quarterly guidance on soft-skill development, career planning, and entrepreneurial aspirations.
As we look to the future of hospitality education, digital innovation sits at the core of our strategy. In introductory courses, students learn to harness AI-driven guest-satisfaction analytics and experiment with industry-specific smart tools, laying the groundwork for capstone projects that benchmark operational efficiency against sustainability metrics. Our laboratory wing is being transformed into an augmented and virtual reality simulation center, where fourth-year students tackle front-desk scenarios, banquet planning, and kitchen crises without leaving campus. These immersive modules, coupled with assignments to design “smart-service” prototypes—such as QR-enabled feedback kiosks—prepare our graduates to lead in a technology-driven marketplace.
Behind every initiative lies a clear implementation rhythm. In Year One, we formalize partnerships, launch our guest speaker series, and pilot AI tools; by Year Two, we expect at least half our students to log national event hours and experience virtual-lab exercises firsthand. Year Three heralds our first international competition teams and a near-complete rollout of mentor pairings; by Year Four, nearly 90 percent of our seniors will secure internships or job offers before graduation, and they will present fully fleshed digital prototypes alongside their culinary and service portfolios.
By integrating industry immersion, strategic networking, and advanced technology, AAU’s Faculty of Hospitality and Tourism produces graduates proficient in service skills and poised to innovate and lead the global hospitality industry.
