Member since 2011

The Chaplin School of Hospitality and Tourism Management at Florida International University (FIU) is located in Miami, Florida, one of the nation's leading centers of international tourism. The city serves as a living laboratory, providing students with unmatched experiential learning opportunities in a region where international travel and tourism drive the economy (www.hospitality.fiu.edu). In 2006, the School established the Marriott Tianjin China Program, a hospitality and tourism management program in Tianjin, the third largest city in China, which serves as the seaport for the capital, Beijing. The Marriott Tianjin China Program enrolls over 1,050 students and it is FIU's largest international program (hospitality.fiu.edu/tianjin.asp).

Each year, over 1,400 undergraduate and graduate students from across the United States and 98 countries around the world choose FIU in Miami for its outstanding reputation, advantageous campus location, impressive faculty, rich curriculum, and fast-track career opportunities in the international hotel, foodservice and tourism industries.

The School offers a diversity of scholarship support to students who demonstrate a track record and potential for leadership and academic excellence, having awarded over $208,000 in scholarships between Summer 2010 and Spring 2011.

An example of the school's dynamic learning environment and students' exposure to key industry leaders is The Food Network South Beach Wine & Food Festival presented by Food & Wine. This national, star-studded four-day destination event showcased the talents of the world's most renowned wine and spirits producers, chefs and culinary personalities. Hosted by Southern Wine & Spirits of Florida and FIU, the festival benefits FIU's School of Hospitality and Tourism Management Teaching Restaurant and the Southern Wine & Spirits Beverage Management Center. To date, the Festival has raised more than $14 million for the School and awarded $350,000 in scholarships in 2011 alone to over 900 students who volunteered for culinary, beverage, logistics, management and marketing positions during the Festival (www.sobefest.com).