The Emirates Academy of Hospitality Management officially approved by the U.A.E. Ministry of Higher

The Emirates Academy of Hospitality Management, in academic association with the prestigious École hôtelière de Lausanne in Switzerland, is pleased to announce that it has received the official approval from the U.A.E. Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research for its four-year Bachelor of Science (Honours) degree programme in International Hospitality Management. This is the first hospitality management degree programme approved in the U.A.E.

The programme will officially start on the 6th of October and there are still some places left for the first semester. The Emirates Academy has a first student intake representing nine different nationalities including students from the United Arab Emirates, Bulgaria, Egypt, Germany, India, Indonesia, Lebanon, Portugal and the United Kingdom.

Approval for four-year Bachelor of Science (Honours) degree programme in International Hospitality Management
The Emirates Academy of Hospitality Management is the first and only new hospitality academy in the U.A.E. to receive approval for its educational programme from its inception. The process undertaken by the Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research in assessing provision at The Emirates Academy is based upon principles reflecting criteria of quality performance generally accepted throughout the international higher education community. Provision is judged against a comprehensive series of standards with which the institution must comply.

The approval process involves both a comprehensive written submission and a visit by a team of overseas experts who assess all areas of the institution's provision for students in the areas of physical resources, curriculum, faculty experience and expertise of support systems.

The team who reviewed the Emirates Academy degree proposal comprised Commissioner Samrendra Singh PhD (Ministry of Higher Education and Scientific Research, Commissioner for Academic Accreditation) Professor John Bowen PhD (University of Nevada Las Vegas), and Professor Udo Schlentrich PhD (University of New Hampshire). It is expected that students will be able to transfer credits to other institutions in the USA and other educational institutes around the world that have a similar rigorous accreditation process.

Successful launch of Professional Development Programme over the summer
The Emirates Academy has presented the first graduates of the Professional Development Programme (PDP) with their certificates after successful completion of the first Professional Development modules.

The PDP is designed to develop the hospitality and tourism industry's middle and senior managers' cognitive skills in a variety of fields related to the industry in order for them to reflect those skills and apply them to their business unit, resulting in an immediate return on investment. The programme comprises a number of modules that are carefully selected and developed to meet and exceed the development needs identified as common and of high importance by management in the hospitality and tourism industry

The first four modules that were conducted included Food & Beverage Trends in a New Millennium, Financial Awareness for Non-financial Hospitality Managers, Managing Service Quality in Hotels and Restaurants and Advanced Kitchen Management. The first four modules had 42 graduates from over fifteen different companies and were given over a duration of five days.

Starting on the 17th of November, The Emirates Academy will be conducting a new series of Professional Development modules. Some of the modules presented in August will be conducted again after the overwhelming interest for the first sessions this summer and in addition, new modules will be introduced including Principles of Sales & Marketing, Strategic Marketing, Yield Management, Managing the Menu for Profit and Managing Staff. Flexible delivery patterns will be provided according to the need of the participants.

Currently under development: a four-year Bachelor of Arts (Honours) degree in International Travel & Tourism
The Emirates Academy is currently developing a four-year honours degree programme in International Travel & Tourism Management in response to the fact that the travel and tourism industry has now become one of the largest and fastest growing in the world. Currently one out of every eleven jobs worldwide is tourism related and the Middle East is the fastest growing tourism region in the world. These figures emphasize the global need for highly qualified graduates to take up management positions in this industry.

The Bachelor of Arts (Honours) degree in International Travel & Tourism Management is designed to meet the global and regional need for qualified graduates who will be able to apply their knowledge directly into the workplace. The programme will have an emphasis on managerial rather than on operational issues and the philosophy can be described as: "Think Global, Act Local". The delicate balance between tourism destination, travel or business management on an international scope and the cherishment of cultural diversity, heritage and authenticity will be discussed throughout the four years of study.

The programme will encompass general studies such as languages, cultural studies, information technology and economics, management studies including business, marketing, accounting, operations management & tourism management and the programme also includes a series of tourism related subjects such as principles of tourism, facilities planning and design, and the tourism environment. Besides these core courses, students will choose from a series of electives, including destination planning, travel retail and tour operators, accommodation and events management and quality management.

Courses will take place over eight semesters, at The Emirates Academy of Hospitality Management in Dubai with an integrated one-semester internship in their third year.