THE UNIVERSITY IS PREPARING FUTURE GUIDES FOR THE SKIES WITH ITS SPACE TOURISM COURSE

THE UNIVERSITY IS PREPARING FUTURE GUIDES FOR THE SKIES WITH ITS SPACE TOURISM COURSE

Dr. Barış Seyhan, Assistant Professor at the Department of Tourism Guidance, Faculty of Tourism, Anadolu University, stated that the 'Space Tourism' course, offered for the first time in Turkey, not only provides students with new course content but also offers them a new perspective.

Space tourism is emerging as a new area of ​​expertise in the tourism sector, going beyond mere science fiction narratives. Courses offered at universities aim to prepare students for these new fields while also providing them with different perspectives. The 'Space Tourism' course offered at the Department of Tourism Guidance, Faculty of Tourism, Anadolu University, is noteworthy in this context.

First Space Tourism Course in Turkey

Dr. Barış Seyhan, Assistant Professor at the Department of Tourism Guidance, Faculty of Tourism, Anadolu University, stated that the 'Space Tourism' course, offered for the first time in Turkey, not only provides students with new course content but also offers them a new perspective, and that the desire to closely follow developments around the world was a determining factor in the course's creation. Dr. Seyhan emphasized that the course is a first in Turkey. Faculty member Barış Seyhan stated, "This is not the first course of its kind in the world, but the first in Turkey. We utilized the course content at Anadolu University, but we adapted it in our own unique way, developing it according to Anadolu University's needs, and launched it in 2020."

'New Space' Perspective: Not Just the Sky, but a New Tourism Field

Stating that the main aim of the course is to give students a 'new space' perspective, Dr. Seyhan said that this approach is not limited to just going to space. Dr. Seyhan said, "We want to both catch up with the world and turn our students' eyes to the sky," adding that space tourism encompasses a wide range of areas such as astrophotography and meteor shower viewing activities. Stating that space tourism is no longer a matter of the future but of the present, Seyhan, a faculty member of the Tourism Faculty, said that this field is creating new professions in the tourism sector. Referring to a study involving young people from 52 countries, Dr. Seyhan said that space tour guiding stands out among the professions of the future.

Applied Education and Student Projects

As part of the course, students first learn the basic concepts of space, according to Dr. Barış Seyhan, Assistant Professor. He then explained that students design imaginary space tours based on real data. Students participate in innovative production processes by presenting these tours through posters, videos, and presentations. Dr. Seyhan stated that these studies enable students to connect with different disciplines and encourage the use of artificial intelligence, adding that student interest in the course is high.

Interdisciplinary Approach and New Career Fields

Dr. Seyhan emphasized the importance of interdisciplinary work for Turkey's advancement in space tourism, stating that fields such as space law, gastronomy, guiding, and communication should be considered together. He noted that they view space tourism not just as going to space, but as contributing to all stages of the process, and that students taking this course could find new career opportunities in areas such as space observation points, celestial events, and thematic routes in the future.

Source of Motivation: Meeting with Alper Gezeravcı

Dr. Barış Seyhan, Assistant Professor, stated that one of the important events held within the scope of the course was the meeting with Turkey's first astronaut, Alper Gezeravcı, a few months ago. He added that this meeting was a strong source of motivation for the students and that similar events are planned to continue according to suitable schedules.