Hotel as classroom delivers Hong Kong PolyU school top rankings
University dean reveals how aspiring hospitality professionals take up frontline staff roles to build empathy and innovate to serve visitors and city
Learning how to make fresh salad and serving dishes as a waiter or waitress are among ways a Hong Kong university trains its hospitality and tourism students to better understand the industry.
A unique educational approach and innovating to stay competitive have propelled Polytechnic University’s School of Hotel and Tourism Management atop the world rankings.
The school was recently rated No 1 globally by Shanghai Ranking, which assesses universities around the world. It also took the top spot in the Centre for World University Rankings, while finishing among the first three in other lists such as the QS World University rankings.
Six luxury Hong Kong hotels that are no longer with us
The school currently has about 1,800 students from 48 countries, spanning Switzerland to Singapore, in doctorate, master’s and bachelor’s studies.
Professor Kaye Chon, a Korean national who has headed the school for 17 years, said the breakthrough came when it built its own property called Hotel Icon for HK$1.3 billion in 2011.
The hotel doubles as a complex that includes the school and other amenities. The set-up encourages innovation.
