Les Roches Jin Jiang: Industry-ready, trailblazing hospitality graduates

From uber-luxe monoliths with round-the-clock butlers to individually themed villas by the Great Wall, China’s hospitality scene is not what it used to be.

Today, the nation is a world leader that truly has it all. In the world’s largest economy, the size, money and diversity of this industry is unrivalled. Revenue grew by 8.4 percent over the last five years to reach US$796bn in 2018. Businesses are growing along with the number of employees. In cities like Beijing, Shanghai, Shenzhen and Guangzhou, there is no sign of this growth stopping anytime soon.

What does all this mean for the aspiring hospitality expert? Answer: opportunity.

Take Shanghai, China’s biggest city, as an example. As one of the busiest cities in the world – with the world’s busiest container port and one of the world’s top five financial hubs – the hotel industry is never short of travellers and guests. A total of 48 new hotel projects are set to launch in the coming years, with an estimated 11,551 new guest rooms and suites. Whether it’s businesspeople attending conferences or high-end travellers enjoying the city’s retail therapy, the trend is towards luxury accommodation and there is no shortage of development in this sub-sector.

Imagine the range of internships and value of the experiences a hospitality student in Shanghai has on their doorstep. At Les Roches Jin Jiang International Hotel Management College, this is the real deal offered to all students.

Programs here are based on the quality and rigour of Swiss hospitality training. There is a variety of hospitality management degrees to choose from. At the undergraduate level, there’s the BBA in Global Hospitality Management and Diploma in International Hotel Management. For advanced studies, choose from the MBA in Global Hospitality Management, the Master’s in International Hotel Management, or the Postgraduate Diploma Programs in Hospitality.

Here, teaching and curricula are standardised across all campuses. For students, this means they can transfer to Les Roches’s sister campuses during their studies, or to finish their BBA/MBA degree after completing their studies in Shanghai.

Quality is assured – the Les Roches Global Hospitality Education is accredited by the New England Commission of Higher Education and its Jin Jiang outpost is part of a network of three international Les Roches campuses that provide Global Hospitality Education in key international hospitality business hubs.

With this Swiss tradition firmly embedded in their education, Les Roches students leave ready to develop into leaders of hospitality and business management through the unique experiential learning Les Roches has to offer.

Alexander Peloiard, a French alum who graduated with his postgraduate diploma in 2012, credits the successful start of his career to this innovative teaching method, claiming it “educates on how to lead, be accountable for your actions and take responsibility for the results.”

“Moreover,” he says, “the postgraduate program gives you the overall picture of hotel management and makes it very clear which direction to go after finishing studies.”

Les Roches’s Shanghai location and the immense opportunities it gives students to jumpstart their careers should not be underestimated. An internship in this bustling cultural capital is special. Gaining experience in a professional hospitality working environment here grants students invaluable opportunities to practise and consolidate knowledge they have achieved. With a population of 26.32 million, an internship in this city instils practical professional experience in what’s arguably the most cosmopolitan setting in the world.

Former student, Justin Philippe Lim Chua Yap from the Philippines, found this out while completing her postgraduate diploma. Lim didn’t just get to meet different amazing and talented industry people but gained another helpful skill for the future: Mandarin.

“Shanghai specifically is a metropolitan city where you would meet different people in each corner of the globe…I believe that learning Chinese will give you one step ahead against the others!”

Meanwhile, South Korean Josh Lee of the Diploma in International Hotel Management program, landed internships at top hotel chain JW Mariott in two locations: his home country and Shanghai. The initial days of the internship were rocky as Lee was yet to figure out how to balance his work and personal life given the long hours. But he persevered and today speaks proudly of his trials.

“The most valuable experience was the time-management…I thought the internship was the time when I could develop myself the most during…college life.”

For a transformative hospitality education, apply to Les Roches Jin Jiang International Hotel Management College.

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