A delegation from Ecole hoteliere de Lausanne (EHL) visited the People’s Republic of China from Tuesday 10 June 2008 to Thursday 12 June 2008 to review the campus development of Beijing Hospitality Institute (BHI). This is a brand new hospitality learning centre being developed in the Panggezhuang area of Daxing district of Beijing, 45 minutes from Tiananmen Square. The EHL delegation comprised Mssrs Marco Torriani, President of the Board of Governors; Ruud Reuland, General Director; Yateendra Sinh, Director, Lausanne Hospitality Consulting (LHC); and Louis Lim, Senior Consultant, LHC.

The EHL delegation also met up with His Excellence Dante Martinelli, Swiss Ambassador to the People’s Republic of China; Mr Markus Reubi, Head of Science, Education & Health Section; and Ms Christine Kyburz, Deputy Head of Science, Education & Health Section.

There were also meetings with Dr Wu Qidi, Vice-Minister for Education, China and Dr Liu Limin, Director, Beijing Education Commission.

BHI is a custom-built facility for 5,000 students, due to open in September 2008. It will offer a four-year bachelor’s degree in hotel management. The project is a joint-effort by several local Chinese investors and Beijing International Studies University (BISU). The curriculum, developed by LHC, has been approved by the Ministry of Education, China. LHC also provides consulting support in the areas of faculty recruitment, development, training, infrastructure design, marketing concept and when BHI opens, academic audits.

With the Vice-Minister of Education of China

The BHI campus covers an area of 20 hectares, with a total built-up surface of 7.5 ha, including restaurants, kitchens, classrooms, offices, library, practice hotel, laundry, outdoor stadium, indoor stadium, outpatient clinic and student hostels. The bachelor’s programme comprises eight semesters, two of which are internships. BHI will be the first hotel management school in China to be supported by EHL.