PolyU Tripartite Hospitality Programme Celebrates 10 Years of Excellence

Hong Kong, 30 October, 2024 – On the occasion of the 10th anniversary of the tripartite Master of Science in Global Hospitality Business (MGH) programme, three international leaders of hospitality and tourism education – the School of Hotel and Tourism Management (SHTM) at The Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU), EHL Hospitality Business School (EHL) in Switzerland, and the Conrad N. Hilton College of Global Hospitality Leadership at the University of Houston (UH), USA – have come together to sign a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to ensure the continuation of this innovative educational strategy.

The signing ceremony took place on 16 October 2024 at the SHTM was presided over by Professor Kaye Chon, SHTM Dean, Chair Professor and Walter and Wendy Kwok Family Foundation Professor in International Hospitality Management; Dr Achim Schmitt, EHL Dean; and Professor Dennis Reynolds, Dean of UH’s Conrad N. Hilton College of Global Hospitality Leadership.

The one-of-a-kind MGH programme allows students to spend one semester in each of the three continents – Europe, Asia and North America – capitalising on three outstanding faculties and campuses. It provides students with exposure to three distinct markets and three diverse cultures to develop their deep-rooted understanding of global market dynamics and construct their management toolbox. With an unparalleled global educational experience, the MGH empowers students to truly “think global, act local”.

Representing the best of the East and the West, this pioneering programme offers students an unparalleled cultural and learning experience. Students’ learning encompasses Europe’s historical hospitality legacy, Asia’s fast-paced market, and America’s expansive hospitality domain, endowing them with an extensive toolkit for leadership and innovation in this ever-evolving industry.

The MGH has gone from strength to strength in the last 10 years, nurturing graduates to excel in a globalised environment and take the reins of the global hospitality industry. In 2020, the programme’s innovative approach to hotel and tourism education was selected for the McCool Breakthrough Award by the International Council of Hotel, Restaurant and Institutional Education, the world’s largest organisation of hospitality and tourism educators. In 2023, the MGH was honoured with the International Strategy of the Year award at the Times Higher Education (THE) Awards Asia, acknowledging the programme’s effectiveness in offering students a global perspective and helping them develop essential future-oriented management skills.

“This year represents another major milestone in the evolution of the MGH programme,” said Dean Kaye Chon. “Over the past decade, this award-winning programme has transformed the careers of countless students through its innovative educational strategy and global perspective. The SHTM is privileged to continue to join hands with the EHL and UH in this worthy partnership and looks forward to the added value the programme will bring to aspiring hospitality students around the world.”

Signing of Memorandum of Understanding: (front row, from left) Dean Achim Schmitt, EHL; Dean Kaye Chon, SHTM; and Dean Dennis Reynolds, Conrad N. Hilton College of Global Hospitality Leadership.

The three institutions pledged to ensure the continuation of the tripartite MGH programme.

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About PolyU School of Hotel and Tourism Management

For 45 years, the School of Hotel and Tourism Management (SHTM) of The Hong Kong Polytechnic University has refined a distinctive vision of hospitality and tourism education and become a world-leading hotel and tourism school. Ranked No. 1 in the world in the “Hospitality and Tourism Management” category in ShanghaiRanking’s Global Ranking of Academic Subjects 2023 for the seventh consecutive year; placed No. 1 globally in the “Commerce, Management, Tourism and Services” category in the University Ranking by Academic Performance in 2023/2024 for seven years in a row; rated No. 1 in the world in the “Hospitality, Leisure, Sport & Tourism” subject area by the CWUR Rankings by Subject 2017; and ranked No. 1 in Asia in the “Hospitality and Leisure Management” subject area in the QS World University Rankings by Subject 2024, the SHTM is a symbol of excellence in the field, exemplifying its motto of Leading Hospitality and Tourism.

The School is driven by the need to serve its industry and academic communities through the advancement of education and dissemination of knowledge. With a strong international team of over 90 faculty members from 21 countries and regions around the world, the SHTM offers programmes at levels ranging from undergraduate to doctoral degrees. Through Hotel ICON, the School’s groundbreaking teaching and research hotel and a vital aspect of its paradigm-shifting approach to hospitality and tourism education, the SHTM is advancing teaching, learning and research, and inspiring a new generation of passionate, pioneering professionals to take their positions as leaders in the hospitality and tourism industry.

Press contact:    Ms Pauline Ngan, Senior Marketing Manager

                              School of Hotel and Tourism Management

Telephone:          (852) 3400 2634

E-mail:                 pauline.ngan@polyu.edu.hk

Website:              https://www.polyu.edu.hk/shtm/