Hasanuddin University (UNHAS) continues to promote innovative, practice-based learning through its English for Tourism course. The upcoming mid-term examination, scheduled for April 12, 2026, at 8:00pm Central Indonesia Time (CIT) via Zoom, was designed not only to assess theoretical understanding but also to emphasize real-world communication skills.
In this examination, students are required to initiate a direct conversation with a foreigner as the opening of the interaction. The foreign guest then responded and engaged in a live dialogue until all students had their turn. This method places students in authentic tourism communication scenarios, reflecting real industry practices.
The session featured an international speaker, Albelardo R. Cruz Jr. from the Philippines, who will interact directly with the students. His presence provides valuable exposure to cross-cultural communication, particularly in the context of global tourism services.
The course lecturer, Dr. Dirk Sandarupa, M.Hum., MCE, emphasized that this approach reflects an outcome-based learning transformation. “Students are not only expected to understand tourism concepts, but also to communicate ideas, promote destinations, and interact professionally in English,” he stated. He further explained that students are now entering a learning phase that goes beyond knowledge acquisition toward performance. This means that students are expected not only to possess tourism knowledge, but also to deliver it effectively in English to international tourists.
This evaluation model is part of a broader effort to prepare students for the global tourism industry, where communication skills, confidence, and cross-cultural competence are essential.Through this approach, students are expected to graduate not only with academic knowledge, but also with strong global competitiveness in the tourism sector.