Bridging the gap
THE BSc ( Hons) in International Hospitality Management programme at Sunway University is aimed at equipping students with the knowledge and skills in international business and management required to set them on course for a top position in the hospitality industry.
The three- year programme provides specialised training in the hospitality sector, integrated with training in the fundamentals of business management.
Students are further prepared for the real world through a 20- week internship programme, which allows them to gain first- hand experience in the hospitality industry.
Through the internship programme, they are exposed to the industry’s culture, learn industry standards and experience the varied aspects of working in a hotel or resort.
The BSc ( Hons) in International Hospitality Management programme under the Centre for Tourism, Hospitality and Culinary Management ( CTHCM) also encourages students to go on field trips to further enhance their learning.
For these field trips, students are usually assigned topics for fieldwork research. In the past, students have visited Indonesia, Cambodia, Vietnam, Thailand, South Korea, Hong Kong, Sri Lanka and France.
Recently, students from year three of the BSc ( Hons) in International Hospitality Management and the BSc ( Hons) in Culinary Management visited Taiwan.
The group of 20 students were assigned five research topics, targeting strategic issues in the country’s hospitality, culinary and tourism industry such as crisis management for food scandals in Taiwan and backpackers’ satisfaction towards Taiwanese backpacker operators.
Lee Kai Sean, leader of the team assigned to explore the Taiwanese bakery franchise industry, says, “The trip enabled us to carry out our research perfectly. Taiwan is a prime example of a nation with natural endowments of high entrepreneurial activities and, according to our literature review, it is labelled as the ‘ island of bosses’.
“In light of this, we witnessed how a bakery franchise grew from within its domestic home ground into the international market by way of the franchise system.
“The trip allowed us to grasp valuable entrepreneurial and food service exposure at an international level. Apart from our research, memories and time spent with our lecturers made the trip by far my most enjoyable one,” he continues.
Among those accompanying the students were lecturer Daniel Chong Ka Leong, teaching fellow Lai Mun Loon and CTHCM’s head Anisha Chai Mee Fong.
Chong says that study trips can be an effective teaching methodology as they allow students to see the application and implication of what they have learnt at university. Such learning is immediate and effective as it is reflected in the students’ field trip research writing.
Field trips such as this help open doors for Sunway students to bridge the gap between student life and the working world.
The BSc ( Hons) in International Hospitality Management programme at Sunway University is accredited by Le Cordon Bleu.
Upon successful completion of the programme, graduates are awarded two certificates – one from Sunway University and another from Le Cordon Bleu. Le Cordon Bleu is one of the most highly respected organisations in the world devoted to culinary arts and hospitality.
With the programme certified for meeting the highest of industry standards, BSc ( Hons) in International Hospitality Management graduates will find themselves in demand locally and internationally, with most pursuing careers in the hotel industry, airlines and resort management companies.
The Sunway University Centre for Tourism, Hospitality and Culinary Management was awarded Tier 5 D- Setara’ 12 for excellent curriculum, quality graduates and graduate satisfaction in the hospitality and tourism discipline by the Malaysian Qualifications Agency.
For more information about programmes offered by CTHCM, call 03- 7491 8622, e- mail info@ sunway. edu. my or visit university. sunway. edu. my/ tourism- hospitality- culinary.