Cornell University’s School of Hotel Administration and The American College of Greece have signed the first two of a series of agreements that will see the schools cooperate in educating future leaders in Greece’s growing tourism industry. Cornell, a member of the Ivy League, is a global leader in the field of hotel and hospitality management education, while ACG’s International and Hospitality Management (ITHM) program seeks to become Greece’s premier undergraduate offering in this strategic field.
The American College of Greece, has also inaugurated a Master of Science in Tourism program this fall. Cooperation between the two schools is expected to encompass several initiatives, including ACG undergraduates studying at Cornell and vice versa, integrating Cornell’s online curriculum into ACG’s undergraduate and graduate curricula and ACG faculty benefiting from professional education programs at Cornell.
The two schools are also exploring possible dual degree offerings (e.g. linking Cornell’s Master of Management in Hospitality with the ACG’s Master of Business Administration). Combining the resources of Cornell and ACG is expected to open new avenues for research in tourism and hospitality in Greece and the Southeastern Mediterranean region.
David G. Horner, President of The American College of Greece, explained, “This new relationship between ACG and Cornell expands the already rich set of affiliations between ACG and outstanding US universities. ACG is uniquely positioned to create value for students, faculty and Greece by leveraging our connection to the US higher education system.”
Michael D. Johnson, Dean and E.M. Statler Professor at the Cornell University School of Hotel Administration commented, “We are very pleased to be collaborating with The American College of Greece and look forward to working with its students and faculty as we explore educational possibilities. Hospitality is a truly global industry and collaborating with institutions like The American College of Greece helps strengthen our international engagements and broadens our access to culturally diverse students and academic colleagues.”
Panos Livadas, Secretary General of the Greek National Tourism Organization, stated, “We are more than happy to welcome such an initiative. Cornell University’s School of Hotel Administration is globally renowned as the leader in its field, while The American College of Greece has always been a pioneer in education, setting the standards high. It goes without saying that, tourism for Greece is a paramount sector; it’s a vital ingredient of the Greek economy that grows stronger day by day. We absolutely believe that this collaboration will build the Greek tourism entrepreneurs of tomorrow.”
Philip C. Korologos, Chair of The American College of Greece Board of Trustees, added, “Having attended and graduated from Cornell, this new ACG relationship brings me particular pleasure. I am confident ACG, Cornell and Greece will benefit enormously from this visionary and strategic endeavor.”
The American College of Greece is a non-profit educational organization and Europe’s oldest and largest American college. Based in Athens, ACG offers secondary (Pierce), undergraduate (Deree), graduate arts and sciences (Deree) and graduate business (ALBA) education to more than 4,000 students. In 1981, Deree became the first overseas American institution to be accredited by the New England Association of Schools and Colleges (NEASC). The school has roots in Asia Minor, founded more than 135 years ago in a suburb outside Smyrna by American missionaries and relocating to Greece at the invitation of the then prime minister, Eleftherios Venizelos in 1923 after the burning of the city and the uprooting of the Greek population.
An interesting side note, the school’s undergraduate division, known as Deree College was named after a wealthy Greek American benefactor from Chicago, William Deree (born Vasilios Derehanis in Ambelionas, in the Messinia region of Peloponessos).
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