“Keep in mind that although you are unique you are not alone. The ultimate fulfilment in our lives is serving to others.”

EduEvo: Hi Professor, can you please present yourself and tell us more about you.

Prof. Aristeidis Gkoumas: My name is Aristeidis Gkoumas and I am from Greece. For the last two years I have been working as an Assistant Professor at I-Shou University, International College in Taiwan. I teach several courses in Tourism Management, Destination Branding, Sustainable Tourism, and Anthropology of Travel and Tourism. I received my B.A in Social Anthropology from Panteion University of Social Sciences, Athens, Greece. I also hold a Master in Tourism Planning, Management & Policy, and a Ph.D. in Tourism Marketing and Branding, both from University of the Aegean, Chios, Greece. I have taught in several Educational Institutions around the world for the last 15 years, including, Greece, Cyprus, Spain, Canada, Thailand, Italy, and Taiwan. In the period of 2009-2011 I worked at UNWTO in Spain as a tourism expert/researcher for the Destination Management Program. My research interests lie in the fields of tourism ethnographies, mobile technologies and place marketing, travel diaries and intersections between leisure and tourism. I have served as a member of the editorial team in various Tourism and Hospitality Journals, a scientific collaborator in 20 EU projects, whereas my academic publications involve more than 40 research papers, conference presentations, book chapters and monographs.     

EduEvo: How did you start your career?

Prof. Aristeidis Gkoumas: I love teaching. It gives me pleasure, meaning and above all a sense of fulfilment for doing something noble and purposeful. However, it took me years since I was given the opportunity to teach. It was back in 2005 when my Ph.D. supervisor appointed me as a Teaching Assistant for her postgraduate course in Tourism Anthropology. I remember that day so vividly. I was so excited and at the same time so nervous. Hopefully, everything went smoothly, and the students seemed very interested to listen to my personal experiences of ethnographic traveling in Latin America, Europe, Asia, and the Caribbean. Ever since I often use paradigms of my travel experiences in my lectures.    

EduEvo: What are the main obstacles in present educational system?

Prof. Aristeidis Gkoumas: To my humble opinion one of the main obstacles of current tertiary educational systems all around the world is the tenacity of most educational institutions to link their programs largely with modern consumer society and the needs of international or domestic markets. Although this tendency is logical to some extent, yet it creates the idea that academic education is a mere vehicle for future employability. I believe that learning shouldn’t be only related with job but more importantly should provide the tools for personal development for the students so that they feel happy and useful with their lives. To this end academic curriculum must include courses, workshops, and seminars on life coaching and shelf- awareness for all students.    

EduEvo: What education means to you?

Prof. Aristeidis Gkoumas: Education is a continuous lifelong process. It never ends. Most people suggest that education is all about learning; it is more than that. It is an interactive dialogue between teachers and students about theoretical knowledge and lived experiences. Sharing views and discussing concepts, models and theories based on observation and critical thinking I believe is the core element of education. The combination of theory and practice is crucial for the efficacy and usability of any learning program.   

EduEvo: What are your plans for the future?

Prof. Aristeidis Gkoumas: I will continue to teach in Universities in Asia. As a European I am fascinated with the exploration of different cultures than mine and in the future I would like to combine the wisdom of Eastern values with the practicality of the West, teaching students of the benefits of both for their professional and personal development.

EduEvo: What kind of advice would you give the youngsters being at the very beginning of their educational career?

Prof. Aristeidis Gkoumas: You need to understand that each one of you is unique in this world. Surely, we all share common ideas, have similar experiences, face parallel challenges but life is very personal. My advice to you is to find time to have a sincere and direct dialogue with your inner self. Away from any destructions, people, noises, and obligations you need to ask yourself what makes you happy? What do you want to contribute to this word? Answering these questions require to set a broad goal for your life. As soon as you have a goal then you must develop a plan to meet your goals and work on this plan with consistency and persistence. Keep in mind that although you are unique you are not alone. The ultimate fulfilment in our lives is serving to others.     
EduEvolution is an awesome initiative, enabling both educators and students to exchange opinions and share experiences towards the academic excellence and pedagogical quality in tertiary education.