Top Swiss hotel university opens campus here

CONSISTENTLY ranked as the world's best university for hospitality and leisure management, Switzerland's Ecole hoteliere de Lausanne (EHL) is all set to welcome its inaugural batch of students at its first international campus in Singapore.

EHL Campus (Singapore) will have over 50 students from diverse nationalities when it starts its first bachelor's degree programme in September. Its faculty team, which includes professors who have previously taught in Lausanne, will provide students with a similar learning experience as in Switzerland, leading to the same qualifications which are internationally recognised.

Besides working with professors from the parent university, EHL Campus (Singapore) plans to provide a local flavour through a variety of guest speakers, some of whom are EHL's alumni, as well as through partnerships with local industry experts to provide practical applications that are specific to the Asia-Pacific region.

"EHL was founded almost 130 years ago on the shores of Lake Geneva with a class of about 30 students. Since 1893, while it has kept humanity at the heart of what we do, everything else has evolved to position us as the world reference in hospitality management education," says Jenny Ang, managing director of EHL Campus (Singapore).

"Today, EHL Group has more than 4,000 students spanning 120 nationalities on its three campuses. The opening of our first international campus is a great source of pride for us, as having this new Singapore campus outside Switzerland will allow us to offer our students a unique learning environment abroad, as well as broader market perspectives in one of the most dynamic regions of the world."

The opening of EHL's first international campus in Singapore is an important step in its international growth strategy. It chose Singapore as the location for the new campus to meet the growing demand for hospitality professionals in Asia, giving them a step-up in their careers - in hospitality and beyond.

"We go where the market needs us to be, and our campus in Singapore will allow us to remain one step ahead, understanding, shaping and stimulating the global hospitality industry as we have been doing for over a century. We aim to expand opportunities and education for future leaders to thrive in an international landscape. An EHL education provides students with an excellent foundation in business and management skills, and soft skills are an important part of the curriculum," says Ms Ang.

EHL Campus (Singapore) also offers a range of programmes to provide lifelong learning opportunities. Besides its renowned Bachelor's Degree in International Hospitality Management, which will be its main programme, a variety of short courses for professionals to upskill in their careers are planned. Already, programmes such as Luxury Brand Management and Designing Hotel and Restaurant Concepts have been held, while People Analytics is next on the list.

MAINTAINING EXCELLENCE

"In maintaining excellence, the curriculum and learning outcomes at EHL Campus (Singapore) are exactly the same as that of EHL in Switzerland, but topped with Asian case studies and examples to ensure relevancy to the local context and professional needs," says Ms Ang.

The faculty in Singapore will be led by Luciano Lopez as the dean of EHL Campus (Singapore).

"At EHL, our mission is to build and strengthen skills to ensure students excel in their careers, whether that be in hospitality or otherwise. As a country well known for its high standards in tourism and hospitality, Singapore is the perfect location for EHL's new campus, and we will endeavour to play a role in elevating hospitality and service sectors here and in the region...

"Together with the rest of the EHL Singapore team and with the support of the wider EHL Group, I am very much looking forward to welcoming our new students to EHL Campus (Singapore) in September," says Dr Lopez.

He will be assisted by about a dozen full-time and adjunct lecturers. In addition to Dr Lopez and the guest lecturers from the EHL campuses in Switzerland, there are plans to hire two new faculty members with extensive experience in the region and Singapore to ensure a good integration in the academic landscape of the country.

Besides the EHL professors, the Singapore campus will also have alumni, and guest speakers and experts from the industry helping it, including Loh Lik Peng, founder of Unlisted Collection; Sebastien Lepinoy, director of culinary and operations at Les Amis; and Julien Royer, chef-owner of Odette.

Ms Ang says that students in Switzerland and Singapore will be able to do semester exchanges in both countries. "Taking a tailored approach to each individual's educational experience, EHL caters to different student's needs and desires across the three different campuses - Lausanne, Passugg and Singapore, offering three types of campuses, locations and activities. Students will collaborate across campuses from time to time to foster the multi-campus mindset. Similarly, our faculty and staff will also be able to do exchange programmes with another campus to enhance best practices and their professional development."

EXCITING OPPORTUNITIES

Asked how the programmes in Singapore will be tailored to Asia-Pacific needs, Ms Ang says: "EHL Campus (Singapore) will offer the same Bachelor Degree in International Hospitality Management as EHL in Switzerland. However, it will be contextualised to enable students receive an education with a view of Asia...

"To give a concrete example, during their last semester, bachelor's students have to do a student business project (SBP). Throughout this capstone project, students get the opportunity to work on real-life challenges with industry leaders while getting coached by EHL faculty members. In Singapore, they will collaborate with local and global companies based in the area for these SBPs, so that our students get close to the local economy and its opportunities."

Situated in the historical Kinloss House at Lady Hill Road near Shangri-La Hotel on 1.9ha of land, EHL Campus (Singapore) features facilities such as meeting rooms and classrooms with state-of-the-art technology, an expansive on-site dining room and a professional kitchen. These facilities are in keeping with the EHL spirit and high standards.

The spacious building offers 2,400 sq m of indoor space with five multi-purpose classrooms, four meeting rooms and numerous breakout spaces, offering flexibility to accommodate modern learning formats. EHL Foundation's status as a non-profit foundation allows it to reinvest all profits to further enhance the quality of the education that it offers.

This structure supports the development of a variety of projects such as the opening of EHL Campus (Singapore). It also enables students, faculty and administrative personnel to evolve in an environment that is in line with the hospitality industry's expectations.

"While as a private education institution we do not get direct government funding, we are extremely grateful to several agencies who have facilitated EHL's presence in Singapore. Long-standing ties between Singapore and Switzerland on many fronts including education have also solidified confidence at the highest levels to embark on this venture," says Ms Ang.

She adds that EHL works closely with its alumni. "About 150 of them live in Singapore including Eric Piatti, general manager of Dusit Thani Laguna and Huilin Quek, CEO of Q Industries. And now with EHL Campus (Singapore), we have the ability to welcome alumni on campus, work with them and celebrate their success."

PIONEERING NEW METHODS

In the recently released QS World University Rankings, EHL was named the world's best university in hospitality and leisure management for the third year running.

With over a century of experience in Swiss hospitality education, EHL has pioneered new teaching methods and set globally recognised standards of excellence within this field.

"But excellence is not just about ranking, or merely the pursuit of perfection. At EHL, we believe that excellence is about nurturing the ability to get the best out of any individual or situation," says Ms Ang.

"Providing a multifaceted education, EHL equips students with a combination of soft and hard skills, an international network, strong links with the industry and the confidence needed to thrive in a career - hospitality or other sectors."