Dubai, UAE, November 1, 2017:  As a part of corporate social responsibility (CSR) of Skyline University College (SUC), Diploma in Travel and Tourism was launched for the selected inmates at Sharjah Police Punishment and Correctional Institution Department on October 29, 2017. This program was a joint initiative of SUC and Sharjah Police as stated on the memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed by the parties on October 6, 2017. SUC Dean Dr. Amitabh Upadhya and Deputy Director for Public Relations Mr. Firas Al Tabbaa were present during the launch of the program along with SUC faculty members, Dr. Mohit Vij, Dr. Ajith Kumar, and Dr. Victoria Verna.

While speaking on the occasion, Colonel Ahmed Shahil, Director of the Department of Punitive and Correctional Establishment of Sharjah Police, said that the Diploma is an initiative towards nurturing a “crime free society” through equipping the participating inmates with knowledge, skills and employment opportunities to restart a respectful living. The director of the penal and correctional institution said that the leadership is keen to provide ways to rehabilitate and reintegrate the inmates by investing their energies for the welfare of society to be a positive force in the development and modernization process in the UAE.  “We aim at enabling prisoners to start working and never get into illegal practices again in future. The Diploma in Travel and Tourism is a unique effort in coordination with SUC where the course contents are customized according to the level of participants and industry requirements”, said Colonel Ahmed Shahil.

The two-year travel and tourism diploma aims at enabling prisoners to capitalize on their potential positive potential by providing them with the professional knowledge and skills they support to manage tourism and travel projects such as developing English language and computer skills to work in the tourism sector. 
Dr. Amitabh Upadhya said that the leisure and tourism industry is one of the leading global economic activities, and the largest employer worldwide. “The tourism sector in UAE is in the forefront of the entire Gulf and the Middle East region. Due to its significant contribution to the GDP in the region, tourism finds place of pride in long term strategic plans for development of UAE. We will equip the candidates with necessary knowledge and skills to secure an appropriate employment in the burgeoning tourism industry”, Dr. Upadhya added.