Annisa Mohammed - Hospitality Professor Brings a World of Experience into Classroom

Due to the Victoria Day holiday, campus services will close at 4 p.m., on Friday, May 16 and will reopen on Tuesday morning, May 20.
From India and Egypt to Brazil, Colombia, and beyond, Annisa Mohammed has travelled the world. For the past 25 years, she has brought those real-life global experiences, along with her extensive tourism expertise, into Centennial College classrooms as a Hotel Operations Management professor in the School of Hospitality, Tourism and Culinary Arts. Hers is a perspective that not only touches on the College’s commitment to internationalization but also encourages students to become global citizens.
Turning Hospitality Program Students into Global Citizens
“Working in the industry, students need to be global citizens and by that, I mean they need to learn, embrace, and respect different cultures,” says Mohammed, who currently teaches two courses in Hospitality – Hotel Operations Management. “Sometimes, I create these little moments in the classroom to illustrate that. For instance, I’ll choose an ingredient and ask everyone if they are familiar with it, and if so, how they use it. Often this is an “aha” moment, where the students see we aren’t that different after all.”
Mohammed began teaching at Centennial after owning a successful travel agency, working at an organization that facilitated medical conferences worldwide, and teaching night school courses as well as working in a private college. Her resumé, she says, has taught her the importance of both customizing the classroom experience and balancing her expertise with humility to create a safe learning environment.
“One of the first things I tell my students is, ‘I like to think I know everything, but I don’t! Please go ahead and correct me,’” Mohammed says. “I try to create an open space in my classrooms. Students bring in their own knowledge and perspectives, and I try my best to be very respectful of that. Because of this, I also think it’s important to adjust my teaching based on the class’s demographic while ensuring all course learning outcomes are met. I work with students to find out what their lived experiences are and tailor my curriculum.”
Leading Hotel Operations Management Learners by Example
In instilling a sense of global citizenship in her students, Mohammed hopes it encourages them to give back once they are settled in their careers. It’s an area in which she also leads by example. Mohammed has volunteered as a board member at the Scarborough Women’s Centre and is a member of the Scarborough Health Foundation’s Scarborough Women of Philanthropy Council.
She also represented the School of Hospitality, Tourism and Culinary Arts on several institutional committees, including College Council, and as a founding member of Centennial’s Culture and Heritage Institute. While the Institute is not currently operating, Mohammed says she gained valuable knowledge and insight from her time hosting events, workshops, and an annual symposium; and conducting applied research and community-led projects.
“I have been fortunate to support Hospitality program students both in and out of the classroom by maintaining industry relationships and with the community at large,” says Mohammed. “For example, during my time with the Institute, I had many interactions with our Indigenous community, and today those experiences continue to help me to Indigenize and internationalize the curriculum whenever possible. Between my travels, my genuine interest in culture, and my vested interest in my students, I hope they graduate prepared to be global citizens with a desire to give back to their community.”