P R E S S   R E L E A S E

The Advisory Committee, inaugurated today, was chaired by Mr Randolph Guthrie, Chief Executive of Ocean Park Hong Kong and comprised prominent members in tourism, hospitality, and real estate industries, education sector, as well as government bodies. Specifically, the mission of the Committee is three-fold.  Firstly, it will serve as the link between hospitality related industries, academia and the community, in particular, it will foster collaboration between the industry and the School.  Secondly, it will provide input and feedback on issues related to curriculum design.  Finally, it will maximize students' learning by supporting internship opportunities and potentially by providing employment opportunities for graduates of the Program.

 At the inauguration today, Professor Kenneth Young, Pro-Vice-Chancellor of The Chinese University of Hong Kong pledged the University's commitment in fostering quality students to meet the changing needs of the community.  He mentioned that the hotel management program is a comprehensive one which allows students to equip themselves with the necessary academic and theoretical knowledge, gain practical industry experience, as well as to benefit from global connection.  The educational program of the School was designed not as a narrowly vocational one, but as a professional program with significant academic elements, with much in common with business administration in general.  The School is working in collaboration with the industry to offer students with internship exposures.  With the completion of the University's teaching hotel on campus in 2004, its students may also enjoy the privilege of practising at the University's hotel.  Moreover, the School also partners with the School of Hotel Administration at Cornell University with the view to broaden student perspective globally.

 "The Hotel School is emphatically a part of our well-established and recognized Faculty of Business Administration, drawing strength from the staff and resources, including the MBA programs." Professor Kenneth Young said.

 Parallel with the establishment of the Advisory Committee on Hotel Management, two other initiatives indicating the collaboration between the University and the industry have also been announced.  They are the Summer Internship Program for students of the Hotel School and the Executive Training Program jointly organized by the Hotel School and the Hong Kong Hotels Association catering to senior management in the profession.

 Mr Randolph Guthrie, Chief Executive of Ocean Park and Chairman of the Advisory Committee said it was necessary for students to gain hands-on experience and to apply what they have learned in the classroom to solve real-world business problems.  "To achieve the educational objectives, the School and individual hotel companies work together to arrange for internship opportunities for the Hotel School students." Mr Guthrie said, "For the summer 2000, there are twenty-six hotel properties and nine hospitality-related companies participate in our internship program.  A total of 79 internship positions are offered to 50 students for this summer."

 Mr James Lu, Executive Director of Hong Kong Hotels Association said while visitor numbers are constantly on the rise, young hotel school graduates find greater career prospects in the industry and more and more young people aspire to join this promising industry which has much to offer.  "With the objective of promoting greater excellence and professionalism in our industry, we are proud to announce a three-day hotel management program for our industry in January 2001." Mr James Lu said on the occasion that the program will be jointly organized by the School of Hotel Management and Hong Kong Hotels Association, "with renowned faculty members and international scholars from the world's leading Hotel and Business Administration disciplines conducting the program sessions."

 The hospitality industry is a rapidly changing one which requires constant updates of one's knowledge and skills, as well as close networking with practitioners in the profession.  Announcing the International Joint Conference in Hospitality and Tourism jointly organized by the Chinese University and Cornell University which will be held on 12 - 14 January 2000, Mr Larry Tchou, Senior Vice-President and Managing Director of Hyatt International-Asia Pacific Ltd. encouraged people of related field to participate, saying that "the conference should be of interest to educators and industry practitioners who are interested in exploring solutions to the challenges facing the industry in the new millennium."

 The School of Hotel Management at The Chinese University of Hong Kong offers a quality program that is balanced between business education and hospitality training, elements essential in fostering well-rounded management people, so keenly sought by the industry.  With the substantial support from the industry, the School will continue to produce hospitality graduates that can lead the industry into a brighter future.