14th IN THE WORLD
Taylor’s University rises seven places in QS World University Rankings for hospitality and leisure management.
TAYLOR’s University retains its position as one of the top universities in the world and in Asia for Hospitality and Leisure Management in the recent 2019 QS World University Rankings by Subject.
The university moved seven places up the ranking from last year to 14th, further establishing its standing as one of the best universities in Asia.
Taylor’s University vice chancellor and president Prof Michael Driscoll said this achievement was especially significant with the change in the employer reputation component for this subject.
“This year, there is an increase in the weightage of how the institution is viewed by employers. Our strong performance is indicative of how our students are viewed by industry players and proves to us that our approach is well-received by the industry.
“Taylor’s University scored highly for employer and academic reputation for the Hospitality and Leisure Management subject.
“The excellent work put in by the strong academic team at the school, significant investment into research and the breadth of the school’s collaboration with over 500 top hospitality partners contributed towards our strong performance.
“We will continue to enhance our strengths, be it the innovative approach to teaching or our relationship with the industry. This takes us another step closer to being a formidable force in the discipline globally,” he said.
Taylor’s University Faculty of Social Sciences and Leisure Management executive dean Dr Neethiahnanthan Ari Ragavan was gratified with its climb up the 2019 QS World University Rankings by Subject for hospitality and leisure management.
“The quality of education provided by the faculty is attributed to the strong industry input which allows the faculty to develop subjects or modules that allow our students to integrate into their respective working environments with ease.
“Our strong performance could not be possible without our industry partners who have been excellent collaborators in our strategic talent development programmes. These engagements have allowed our students to gain invaluable industry insight which in turn provides them the foundation for their future career.
“Through the years, we have partnered with leading hospitality brands who have mentored our students through initiatives like the Student Employment Programme (STEP), the Future General Manager Programme (GeM) and ELITE Leadership Programme for Tourism & Events.
“These innovative programmes place students on a fast track to employment with the industry’s top employers and offer aspiring students a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to be a part of a global organisation while pursuing their undergraduate studies.
“In addition, we recently embarked on a project called Hotel Takeover where our students actually managed and operated a real hotel in Kuala Lumpur.
“By providing them opportunities to work in companies, they are able to gain broader dimension to be future ready as they get to implement the critical skills they learn with us,” he said.
Taylor’s is the preferred university for the world’s top hotel chains like Marriot International, ShangriLa Hotels & Resorts, Hilton Worldwide, Mandarin Oriental Hotel Group, Intercontinental Hotels Group, Starwood Hotels & Resorts and Accor Hotels through strategic partnerships in talent development and employability.
The approach of strong industry engagement is also adopted by all schools at Taylor’s University in line with Taylor’s teaching philosophy, which is centred on equipping students with a future-ready advantage. Students acquire skills that can help them thrive in all circumstances, while holistic learning experiences will equip them with greater knowledge, essential experiences and life skills.
In addition to the strong performance by the Faculty of Social Sciences and Leisure Management in the 2019 QS World University Rankings by Subject exercise, Taylor’s University also broke into the Business and Management Studies subject for the first time.
Prof Driscoll said that efforts would be undertaken to mirror the strong positive performance Taylor’s University has had in the Hospitality and Leisure Management subject, which saw Taylor’s score highly for both academic and employer reputation. By this, the standing for the Business and Management Studies subject will be able to be improved on for the next edition of the rankings.