Dubai, April 2001…. The internationally recognised Bachelor of Science (BSc) degree programme in International Hospitality Management is to begin in September this year at the Emirates Academy of Hospitality Management, part of leading Dubai based hospitality company - Jumeirah International.

Unique Association with Leading Swiss Hotel School

In academic association with École Hôteliére de Lausanne, one of the finest hotel management institutes in the world, the four-year programme has as its main aim the preparation of students for management positions in leading hospitality companies through a strong, innovative academic curriculum, which includes hands-on experience in the world's most prestigious properties. Through the unique association with École Hôteliére de Lausanne, the Emirates Academy combines proven academic methodology with comprehensive, up to date facilities.

The four-year programme leading to a BSc in International Hospitality Management consists of eight semesters of sixteen weeks each, conducted in English. The first two semesters are operationally oriented, encompassing subjects such as food & beverage management, housekeeping and front office operations. The third semester focuses on hospitality computer applications, preparing the students for an internship in the fourth semester, which can be pursued in either one of the prestigious Jumeirah International properties or other leading hotels in Dubai or elsewhere in the world.

Studies in Dubai and Lausanne, Switzerland

Post internship, students return to the Emirates Academy in Dubai for their fifth semester consisting of extensive management courses in finance, human resources, marketing, cultural diversity and organisational behaviour. Semesters six and seven will be spent in Lausanne, Switzerland at the École Hôteliére de Lausanne where students will continue to learn in an environment that has earned an established and respectable reputation as the leader in hospitality management education. Upon their return in the last semester, students will be required to write a dissertation and undertake a consultancy project prior to graduation.

Extensive growth in both the international and regional hospitality industry has resulted in an increased demand for young and talented hospitality professionals coming from sound educational institutions and the Emirates Academy of Hospitality Management aims to play a vital role in fulfilling this growth in demand. Particular attention will be given to the professional development of local nationals. Attending and graduating from the Emirates Academy of Hospitality Management will give talented students the unique opportunity to start their own exciting careers in a growing and international industry, where the world is their oyster.

The campus of the Emirates Academy of Hospitality Management is ideally situated opposite the world-renowned Jumeirah Beach Hotel and Burj Al Arab. Students will live on campus in brand new, furnished studios equipped with kitchen, shower room and Internet access. In addition the campus features several communal areas such as a clubhouse, an outdoor swimming pool and sporting facilities. The programme will commence in September this year and the expected intake for the first semester is fifty students coming both from the local and expatriate community and from overseas including Europe and Asia.

In addition to the four-year BSc programme, the Emirates Academy offers an extensive Professional Development Programme, which is due to commence this summer. The Professional Development Programme is designed to develop the hospitality industry's middle and senior managers' cognitive skills in a variety of fields related to the industry in order for them to reflect those skills and apply them to their business unit, resulting in an immediate return of investment.

The programme comprises a number of modules that were carefully selected and developed to meet and exceed the development needs identified as common and of high importance by management in the hospitality industry. Modules include 'Food & Beverage Trends in a New Millennium', 'Financial Awareness Programme for Non-Financial Hospitality Managers', 'Managing Service Quality in Hotels and Restaurants', 'Advanced Kitchen Management' and 'E-nnovation'.

The first modules will run in slots of one week each and will be facilitated by professionals with many years of experience in the hospitality industry and in coaching senior managers to develop their skills and abilities. Key presenters are Debra Adams, Associate Professor, John Sutton, Principal Lecturer and Head of Department Food & Beverage and Willi Elsener, Head of Department Food Production.

Modules are priced at USD 1500 each but a special offer of USD 1000 applies to the first set of modules in order to recognise and thank the local community for the support it has given to the Emirates Academy of Hospitality Management in its inaugural year.

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Editor's Note:

The Jumeirah International Group was established in 2000 to encompass five world class hotels and the Middle East's first fully themed water park, Wild Wadi.

The 600-roomed Jumeirah Beach resort hotel opened in December 1997, with its 19 villa resort complex Beit Al Bahar opening in 1999. It was voted No. 1 Hotel in the World by Conde Nast Traveller magazine in 1999 and 2000.

Emirates Towers Hotel, the 400-bedroom hotel located on Sheikh Zayed Road, opened in April 2000. The adjoining 350-metre high office tower and Emirates Towers Shopping Boulevard make this the region's premier business address.

Burj Al Arab, the tallest hotel in the world, opened in December 1999. Designed to reflect a billowing sail, Burj Al Arab incorporates 202 luxury duplex suites and is situated on a man-made island some 280 metres offshore.

The luxury Jumeirah Beach club was added to the Group portfolio in August 2000 and offers a highly sophisticated leisure and recreation experience through its 50 rooms and suites in addition to its very popular restaurants and sporting facilities.

The World Trade Centre Hotel, Dubai, became the newest addition to the Group on 20th December 2000. One of the first five star hotels built on the Bur Dubai side of the Creek, this strategically placed property fulfils a vital role for the many trade and consumer shows staged in Dubai each year as well as being a historical meeting place for Dubai's residents and business people.

Floor Bleeker
It Manager
Jumeirah