Zizka Laura

Dr. Laura Zizka is a Professor at the EHL Hospitality Business School, part of the HES-SO university network. She specializes in higher education strategies, crisis communication, and sustainability in hospitality and STEM sectors. Her research bridges academic theory with industry practice, focusing on organizational resilience during crises, digital education transformation post-pandemic, and embedding sustainability literacy in curricula.

• Education**: BSc HES-SO in Hospitality and Tourism Management
• Research Themes**:
  • Crisis communication strategies in tourism and hospitality
  • Digital transformation in higher education
  • Pro-environmental behavior in hospitality operations
  • Sustainability integration in STEM and business programs

Her work emphasizes bridging educational practices with real-world challenges, such as pandemic communication, stakeholder engagement in sustainability, and employability skills for STEM graduates. Recent studies include analyzing Swiss hoteliers' pandemic communication evolution and exploring AI's role in academic writing through Microsoft Copilot case studies.

Grants & Projects**:

• HES-SO Rectorate-funded project (2019–2020) on destination image and pictorial content impact (CHF 99,000)
• Longitudinal studies on student/faculty perceptions of digital education (2020–2023)

Dr. Zizka collaborates with industry partners like KITRO (food waste tech) and actively contributes to conferences on topics ranging from trauma-informed pedagogy to blended learning models. She advocates for holistic sustainability education and has advised on CSR communication strategies for airlines and hospitality firms.