Hospitality scholarship for Chinese students

Swiss hospitality education group Sommet and Swiss watchmaking brand Hublot announced an agreement at the China International Import Expo to promote the cultivation of professionals for the hospitality and luxury business.

It includes a scholarship for Chinese students interested in studying at Sommet’s Glion Institute of Higher Education and Les Roches Global Hospitality Education.

Both institutions are ranked among the world’s top six for hospitality education and among the world’s top three for employer reputation in QS World University Rankings by Subject this year.

The scholarship gives qualified Chinese students a 25 percent tuition waiver and a guaranteed 5-month internship at Hublot in Nyon, Switzerland.

Sommet Education Global Market Director Karine Hyon-Vintrou said there will be one scholarship for each institute in 2019.

A panel with representatives from both institutes and Hublot will decide which students will qualify. 

“China had become the largest market for luxury business and the export destination of Swiss luxury watches, but Chinese consumers might not have enjoyed the best services,” said Hublot China Market Director Corer Hu. “The lack of best services has driven the demand for good education to cultivate good talent.”

“We exchanged with leaders in the hospitality and luxury industries and we heard that there was a lack of talent. They lack enough general managers and executive managers to lead or manage their hotels in China. So we have been asked to fulfill this demand and to help them train talents,” said Hyon-Vintrou.

According to Sommet, the number of its Chinese students has been increasing by 5 to 6 percent annually in the past five years, along with the industry expansion in the Chinese market, and there are now 1,500 students at the Glion Institute and 2,000 at Les Roches, with 10 percent of them from China.

Ti Gong