SHATEC today entered a partnership with the School of Hotel and Tourism Management (SHTM), Hong Kong Polytechnic University (PolyU) to launch a degree programme in hotel management in Singapore.
The collaboration will offer a new, four-year option for SHATEC students to pursue a higher diploma followed by a bachelor of sciences degree in hotel management, accredited by PolyU.
According to SHTM dean and chairprofessor, Kaye Chon, teaching staff from SHTM will be posted to SHATEC to teach the hotel management degree programme. The course will cater for both full- and part-time students with some modules taught in block release or intensive courses within a short period of time.
Chon said to TTG Asia e-Daily: “Developing people for the hospitality industry is a very important agenda for Asia. The scene today has changed a lot as the industry used to be led by expatriates with not much Asian talent.
“Now we have a lot of Asian talent (and) we are seeing changing customer profiles with more Asian tourists. That is why it is important to develop Asian leadership in the industry to cater to them.”
He added: “SHATEC has always done a very good job in producing leaders in the operational businesses.”
TTG Asia e-Daily understands launch date for the degree programme has yet to be confirmed.
Margaret Heng, chief executive of SHATEC, commented in a press release: “As the Singapore hotel industry embarks on its productivity and capability enhancement initiatives, the SHATEC-SHTM collaboration will provide opportunities for everyone in the industry to learn from one of the most innovative hospitality schools in Asia. This fits in nicely with SHATEC’s mantra to develop talents with deep skills and knowledge of the trade.”
SHATEC’s latest collaboration with SHTM comes on the heels of August’s MoU with MeiHo University in Taiwan for student exchange programmes.
At the MoU signing ceremony today, Chon also delivered an address on innovations within the hospitality industry.
He cited trends such as the centre of gravity for hospitality shifting to Asia from the rest of the world and pointed out that 48 per cent of hotels in the world pipeline are located in Asia, creating a need for education.
