Cultural immersion is key

 

In the Macau trip, students learn how the local government diversifies the customer segmentation in hotels.

The cohort of 27 carefully selected students comes from four different continents, has 21 nationalities and speaks 23 languages. This diversity in itself will ensure a world of cultural and social insight within the student body, which will be enhanced by the semester already spent in Switzerland, the time in Hong Kong, a final semester in the United States and a three-month residency for a consultancy project at an international hospitality company.

As Dr Catherine Cheung, SHTM Associate Dean and the programme's Hong Kong leader, put it, "Cultural immersion is a key to a holistic approach to the global hospitality business. This would ensure strong international perspectives and in-depth understanding of local markets among graduates." The development of such characteristics is already reaping benefits. Speaking on behalf of the students, Hugo Manzini, a Swiss national with hospitality experience in both his native country and Belgium said, "Thanks to this programme, we really have a clear competitive advantage, and that makes us all the more attractive in the job market."

Endorsed by leading hospitality companies such as Hilton Worldwide, Hyatt International and the Jumeirah Group, the programme features advanced academic learning, intensive workshops delivered by industry professionals, the completion of a report using live industry data, business field trips and consultancy projects for leading global hospitality chains. Discussing the five main courses offered in Hong Kong, covering areas ranging from marketing to hospitality business strategies, mainland Chinese student Fei Xu remarked, "They provide us deep insight about different aspects of the hospitality industry in Asia."

• The Hong Kong advantage