LAS VEGAS, June 7, 2009 - Forty-one students from the Singapore campus of the University of Nevada, Las Vegas (UNLV) received their degrees June 6 during the first commencement ceremony held since the campus opened in August 2006. The event marks a major milestone for UNLV's first international campus and strengthens the university's effort to create a global network of campuses that can deliver UNLV's world-renowned brand of hospitality management education.

"It has been an amazing experience to see the internationalization of UNLV's hotel college and to provide quality hospitality education in an area where it was not readily available," said Andy Nazarechuk, dean of UNLV Singapore. "The hospitality industry in Singapore is expanding quickly and Southeast Asia is becoming a more sophisticated travel destination. As the hospitality industry here continues to grow, so will UNLV Singapore."

Opened in August 2006, the 12,000 square foot campus is housed on the 10th and 11th floors of the National Library of Singapore, a building comparable to the United States Library of Congress. There are more than 200 students currently enrolled in the undergraduate and graduate programs, and the campus will likely reach its capacity by the end of the year. 

UNLV's success in Singapore is helping bolster the hotel college's effort to expand into other areas overseas, particularly those with growing hospitality sectors. UNLV is currently in discussion with the United Arab Emirates (UAE) to become the anchor tenant of a new 100-acre hospitality education campus in the emirate of Ras al Khaimah, located approximately 60 miles north of Dubai. Once that project is completed, students seeking a bachelor's degree in hotel administration from UNLV will have the opportunity to study and gain international hospitality experience in three distinctly different cultures.

"As we continue to develop new opportunities around the globe to deliver our world-renowned curriculum, UNLV has positioned itself to become the global leader in hospitality management education," said Stuart Mann, dean of UNLV's William F. Harrah College of Hotel Administration. "The success of our Singapore campus speaks volumes about the need for this kind of education beyond the main campus in Las Vegas. We are very proud of our international efforts and are looking forward to continued success in Singapore and to exporting the UNLV brand to other countries in the very near future."

The William F. Harrah College of Hotel Administration at UNLV consistently ranks among the top hotel and hospitality colleges in the nation. Located just 1.5 miles from the famous Las Vegas strip, the college provides students access to one of the largest and most demanding educational laboratories in the field. The hotel college now boasts more than 10,500 alumni, many of whom have gone on to become leaders in the hotel and hospitality management industries.

Gian Galassi, (702) 895-3104
University of Nevada, Las Vegas
http://www.unlv.edu
http://www.unlv.edu.sg
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