WPU Center for Tourism Research, Application and Development

About Us:
WPU-TUGEM is dedicated to being a dynamic centre for innovative projects and joint work, bringing together representatives of ministries, local governments, universities, research centres, foundations and non-governmental organisations in the field of tourism.

Mission:
As WPU-TUGEM, we aim to create and develop tourism awareness by researching and implementing projects related to developing the tourism sector. The Centre aims to encourage cooperation between World Peace University and various stakeholders in the tourism industry, including enterprises, public and non-governmental organisations. It seeks to foster collaboration within and outside the university to contribute to advancing the tourism sector in the TRNC.

Vision:
The vision of our Centre is to serve as a hub for joint projects and studies involving representatives from ministries, local governments, national and international universities, research centres, foundations, and non-governmental organisations. It aims to establish partnerships with the European Union and TUBITAK (Scientific and Technological Research Council of Turkey) to facilitate cooperation and knowledge exchange.

Centre Director: Assist. Prof. Dr Elif Şenyücel
E-mail: elif.senyucel@wpu.edu.tr

What we do:
The activities of the Centre are:

• Organizing congresses, panels, symposiums, seminars, conferences, and short-term courses to provide personal development support and professional training opportunities for individuals in the tourism sector, university staff, and students.
• Collecting up-to-date data on the tourism sector and producing written, visual, and audio materials for the benefit of stakeholders. This includes research reports, publications, presentations, and informative materials.
• Facilitating coordination between the university and tourism enterprises, fostering partnerships and collaboration. This involves establishing connections with industry representatives, organising visits to tourism businesses, and providing internship opportunities for tourism students.
• Protecting the intellectual property rights of university researchers, ensuring that their work and innovations are safeguarded. This includes promoting entrepreneurship and applying university knowledge in tourism, contributing to the regional and national economy.
• Creating an environment that fosters research, development, creativity, and productivity within the scope of university-tourism cooperation. This entails supporting innovative projects, encouraging interdisciplinary collaboration, and promoting a culture of continuous improvement and advancement in tourism.
• Offering in-service training to enhance service quality and customer satisfaction in small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the tourism sector. These trainings aim to improve the skills and competencies of employees, contributing to the overall professionalism and success of the industry.
• Showcasing successful cooperation examples to the public through various media channels, including television, newspapers, and social media. This is done to raise awareness about the positive impacts of university-industry collaboration and highlight the achievements and contributions made by the Centre in advancing the tourism sector.