Puducherry: Vice Chancellor of Pondicherry Central University P Prakash Babu has stressed the need to take tourism education beyond classrooms and examinations, saying greater industry engagement was essential to keep curricula relevant.

Inaugurating a five-day international scientific and practical conference on 'Bridging Tourism Academia and Industry: Indian and European Perspectives' organised by the Department of Tourism Studies, School of Management, at the University on Monday, the vice chancellor said tourism, being a dynamic and service-oriented sector, could not be taught through theoretical instruction alone.

"A meaningful engagement with industry partners, tour operators, hospitality chains and heritage bodies is essential to keep curricula relevant and responsive to change," he said.

Such international collaborations would give students exposure to global best practices in tourism management, hospitality and destination branding, while enabling European partner institutions to draw on India's diverse tourism ecosystem for research and academic exchanges, he said.

He also highlighted Puducherry's distinctive heritage and its potential to serve as a setting for international academic and industry collaborations.

"The distinctive identity of Puducherry makes it a fitting setting for the Strategic Industry Partnerships project. The collaborative Memoranda of Understanding that the University has signed with European partners have helped build a bridge between India and Europe in the areas of heritage conservation, sustainable tourism and cultural exchange," he said.

In a press release issued on Tuesday, the University's Deputy Registrar (Public Relations), K Magesh, said the vice chancellor had released the conference brochure.

P S Sibi, Head of the Department of Tourism Studies, welcomed the participants.

This report was published from a syndicated wire feed. Apart from the headline, the EdexLive Desk has not edited the copy.