Boasting of five hospitality institute brands with campuses spread across the globe, Laureate Hospitality Education, a part of Laureate International Universities has been striving continuously to equip students for leadership roles in the hospitality industry By Rituparna Chatterjee
With a network of over 80 campus-based and online universities offering undergraduate and graduate degree programmes to over 950,000 students around the world, Laureate International Universities has been offering several undergraduate, masters and doctoral degree programmes in architecture, art, business, culinary arts, design, education, engineering, health sciences, hospitality management, information technology, law and medicine over the years. As for the hospitality space, Laureate Hospitality Education (LHE), was established under Laureate International Universities to offer several career-focused programmes through its five hospitality education brands – Glion Institute of Higher Education with campuses in Switzerland and London; Les Roches International School of Hotel Management with campuses in Switzerland, Spain, Shanghai and China; Royal Academy of Culinary Arts (RACA) with campus in Amman, Jordan; Blue Mountains International Hotel Management School with campuses in Australia and China; and Kendall College with campus in Chicago, USA. “We have a vast geographical presence today and each institute offers a balanced curriculum of practical training, business management skills and a multicultural experience to prepare students for an international career in the fast-growing global hospitality industry,” states Johan Stromsater, vice president – global enrollment, Laureate Hospitality & Culinary Education, adding that, “We have seen great interest from Indian students for our schools. However, the Les Roches brand is more popular in India.”
LHE has been witnessing a growing number of international students to its campusesmainly driven by the numerous opportunities opening up in the global hospitality space. According to a 2011 report by World Travel & Tourism Council, over the next 10 years approximately 69 million new jobs are expected to be generated. “Globally we see an increase in interest for a career in hospitality and this has been driven by the rapid growth in tourism and hospitality. There is job security in this profession and with the right profile, the hospitality field is a lucrative career option,” opines Stromsater. To cater to specific student and industry requirements, LHE has recently introduced several specialised courses. “Before launching a programme, we work with leading industry partners so as to create content that it is relevant in the global scenario. Recently, we have noticed an increasing interest among students for spa and wellness programmes and hence we launched BBA in Spa and Wellness at the Switzerland campus of Les Roches International School of Hotel Management. Furthermore, we also launched a Master of Science in Leadership since presently the industry has shown a need for managers who are well groomed to take on leadership roles,” he mentions. Plans are also underway to launch luxury goods management programme at the Switzerland campus of Glion Institute of Higher Education this year. Interestingly, LHE also takes into account the location of a campus before introducing a particular programme. “We look at the positioning of different campuses. For instance, at the Glion Institute of Higher Education we try to attract students who are not only interested in working in the hospitality sector but also in other related sectors. As for Les Roches International School of Hotel Management, the focus is more on hospitality operations,” he adds.
Placement opportunities
Offering a multicultural atmosphere is what LHE prides itself for, for it equips its students to work with diverse nationalities believes Stromsater. “We have more than 100 nationalities altogether. At the Switzerland campus of Les Roches International School of Hotel Management we have around 93 nationalities. The hiring managers are interested in hiring students who have studied at international schools since they learn how to work with others of different cultures. An interesting trend is that apart from hotels other companies from different sectors are also hiring from our schools like luxury retail companies, technology companies, finance companies since our hospitality degree prepares the students to diverse options,” boasts Stromsater, adding that, their placement rate is close to 90 per cent and the remaining 10 per cent usually opts for a master’s programme. “Interestingly, India has a higher percentage of students going for the masters programme. Across all our campuses 10 per cent of the total Indian students opt for further education before joining work,” reveals Stromsater. For placements and internships, LHE has tie-ups with around 100 industry partners who offer internships and also recruit final-year students. “We also assist students in writing their CVs and coaching them for the interviews,” he concludes.