Representatives from 15 THE-ICE member institutions across 9 countries joined THE-ICE Webinar Series 16: THE-ICE Scholarship and Research to launch and explore a new platform to benefit THE-ICE members by supporting relevant research and scholarly activity.
On Thursday 18th August 2021 Dr Craig Thompson, CEO of THE-ICE, and Ms Jane Gentle, General Manager of THE-ICE, introduced the Tribe platform to THE-ICE network via webinar. To stimulate collaboration and enable the sharing of ideas and resources between members, THE-ICE has selected Tribe to create a space for members to share and discuss relevant research ideas, to seek assistance or possible collaborations for new or ongoing research projects, and to share relevant completed research.
Three (3) researchers from each member institution of THE-ICE will be invited to join the platform in its initial stage, building a community of practice for ideas and research specifically relevant to the vision of THE-ICE: to significantly and sustainably enhance the quality of higher education in tourism, hospitality, events, and culinary arts (TH&E) globally. THE-ICE is not seeking to replicate existing platforms, and the Tribe platform will only publish research related to this vision. This might include research on accreditation innovations, the development of quality systems, new course content, staff and professional development, student projects, and virtual or other alternative internships, among other relevant topics.
THE-ICE is a trusted network and Tribe will be a supportive place to share and celebrate successes, as well as providing access to top TH&E academics from around the world with a focus on collaboration, not competition. The platform is intended for all levels of research and should be accessible and useful for student and academic research alike. Dr Thompson added that a funded research topic, addressing a topical issue in TH&E education and with the outcomes to be shared with THE-ICE members, will also be launched next year alongside THE-ICE Research Grant Scheme.
Ms Jane Gentle conducted a live demonstration of Tribe , including interactions between the webinar presenters on the platform. The Tribe platform has a chronological feed, functions to search for key topics and explore popular posts, and a number of ‘Spaces’:
- A space to share research papers
- A space to seek data and information from THE-ICE network
- A space to seek feedback on research ideas and to find possible collaborators
Dr Edmund Goh (Edith Cowan University, Australia) shared the experience of having his research, jointly conducted with Auditor of THE-ICE Professor Tom Baum and titled Job perceptions of Generation Z hotel employees towards working in Covid-19 quarantine hotels: the role of meaningful work, shared via Tribe. Dr Goh emphasised that this platform would remove some of the hierarchy and power distance between researchers, as well as allowing them to reach a targeted and invested audience of fellow TH&E academics.
The recording of the webinar can be accessed here
For information about upcoming webinars in THE-ICE Webinar Series, click here