Highline College has been awarded a federal grant valued at $35,000 to send 12-15 Hospitality and Tourism Management (HOST) students to Indonesia to learn about its hospitality and tourism industry. Other Highline students who are interested in management are also eligible to apply for the trip.
The 9-day study abroad program will take place in Bandung, the capital of Indonesia’s West Java province, and give the students valuable insights plus hospitality and tourism management skills to help them succeed in the workplace.
The grant is part of the U.S. Department of State’s Increase and Diversify Education Abroad for U.S. Students (IDEAS) Program. Highline College is one of 37 U.S. colleges and universities that will use an IDEAS grant to establish and expand American student mobility overseas in support of U.S. foreign policy goals.
Fundraising efforts and free lodging for the spring 2025 trip will make the program accessible to a cohort of diverse, underrepresented students. It will provide an affordable international experience to those who may not have previously traveled abroad.
“By staying at a working hotel and volunteering at the establishment, students will experience firsthand how the global lodging industry works. They will learn about management, lodging, tourism promotion, and event planning, which they can apply when they return home,” said Dr. Justin Taillon, Professor & Department Head of Hospitality & Tourism Management at Highline College.
The students will meet with tourism organizations in Indonesia, including visiting bureaus and chambers. They will see first-hand how the organizations promote tourism and collaborate with various tourist sites in the culturally rich and diverse city of Bandung. They will also gain an understanding of how to raise funds for study abroad trips, by working with the local business community.
Bandung, Indonesia, where Highline students will be studying.
Sam Kaplan, Director of the Center of Excellence Global Trade & Supply Chain Management at Highline College elaborated.
“Highline College is honored and pleased to receive the IDEAS grant which will help us expand our academic-focused, affordable study abroad program. Working with our partner in Indonesia, Politeknik Pariwisata NHI Bandung, we will provide international experiences and opportunities in fields such as tourism and hospitality to underrepresented students and help meet industry needs in these in-demand occupations.”
Indonesia is the fourth most populous country in the world and an important player in the strategic Asia-Pacific region. This upcoming trip will be modeled on Highline’s successful Follow the Supply Chain Study Abroad Program to Vietnam, which launched in 2019.
“It is crucial that more U.S. students get to know Indonesia and develop relationships there. This study abroad program will help increase visibility of the importance of Indonesia to our students, both those participating in the program and those learning about it,” Taillon confirmed.
In 2016, Highline College and Tacoma Community College were awarded an IDEAS grant for underrepresented students to study in Shanghai, China.