The Emirates Academy of Hospitality Management

My studies at The Emirates Academy of Hospitality Management are extremely valuable due to the high level of education and the industry connections I was able to establish over the last 3 years. The ideal conditions of the school facilities and the attractive campus surroundings paired with the constantly growing touristic environment of Dubai make my experience at The Emirates Academy of Hospitality Management worthwhile. Furthermore, the school’s close links with Jumeirah and other international hotel chains, as well as Ecole hôtelière de Lausanne and Cornell University made the decision to come here the perfect choice for my career advancement!

My time at The Emirates Academy of Hospitality Management has been an unforgettable experience. The Academy’s programmes, in particular, the BSc programme, is well organised and structured. The vast amount of courses offered allowed myself to gain as much knowledge as possible and identify where I wanted my career to start.

Students have the opportunity to learn from the lectures in the academic environment and take it to a practical setting. This provided an extremely valuable opportunity for my career and for the foundation of my future. Unlike other universities, The Academy provides a small student to teacher ratio. This provided the opportunity for myself and other students to build a professional relationship and a friendship with the lectures.

The Academy has a close relationship with the Jumeirah Group, students have a wide range of opportunities to work part time and receive numerous learning experiences in Jumeirah’s five star hotel properties. In addition, they also encourage students to work in their free time at popular events such as the Dubai World Cup, Formula 1 racing, and Arabian Hotel Investment Conference. As part of my degree I was required to complete a 20-week internship at a hospitality or tourism business of my choice; I chose to complete my internship at Jumeirah Restaurants.  The experience I gained at Jumeirah Restaurants is one I will never forget. It is what drove me towards my passion for Human Resources and Learning & Development and I believe that it was the colleagues that made my experience unforgettable. My experience in Jumeirah Restaurants was very educational and I had the chance to continue working with them all throughout my studies.

Students that enroll at The Academy come from all over the world with diverse backgrounds.  We start as strangers and end up as family; we don’t only build a friendship, but a network of friends and colleagues that we can call upon when needed.

With the friendships and networks that will last a lifetime, a degree accredited in Europe, Australasia and the MiddleEast, my experience at The Academy is not only shaping my career and life, it's shaping my future.

My studies at The Emirates Academy of Hospitality had been very enjoyable. The study programmes are well structured and I was even able to go to Ecole hôtelière de Lausanne in Switzerland and also complete my internship in Germany. Being able to spend time during my four years of study in three different countries has been an invaluable experience for me. The friendships and networks that I made at The Academy will last a lifetime and I am incredibly happy to have met these people. Overall, my experience at The Academy has been extremely rewarding because it shaped my life and will shape my future career.

Over the past four years, I witnessed The Academy grow dramatically, receiving numerous accreditations and recognitions making it undoubtedly one of the top hospitality institutions worldwide - a superb achievement for such a young University. I can confidently say that my degree has provided me with a number of exciting career opportunities. I was hired by Jumeirah immediately after I completed my studies and it is a fantastic job that I have now which combines my enthusiasm for writing with my passion for working in the dynamic hospitality industry.

Without exaggeration I can testify, that my recently obtained Bachelor of Science (Hons.) degree from The Emirates Academy of Hospitality Management is essential for a successful career beginning in the hospitality industry. For a couple of very simple, but tremendously important reasons that give you a competitive advantage:  Internationally experienced professors who share their know-how on a one-to-one basis at any time during your studies will help you build up a crucial fundament of the industry knowledge. In addition, several work opportunities in the Middle Eastern region with renowned hotel brands as well as an internship in Hong Kong gave me further insights into the wonderful world of hospitality.

Additionally, I spent 1 year in our partner school Ecolé Hotelier de Lausanne which further increased my global network of friends and enhanced my experience. Through the many hands-on projects during my studies, I was able to create, follow, lead, experiment, fail or succeed and this was certainly a good learning experience for me.

Through my training and education in the different hospitality courses such as marketing, human resources, accounting, food and beverage, rooms operations and many others, I became an all-rounder which provided me with  confidence for future career choices.  I also strongly believe that the multi-cultural student body helped me to understand different cultural and religious behavior and attitudes and formed my open minded character.

At the end of my studies I was proud to say that I was well equipped with international industry knowledge, a strong self-confidence, a global network of friends and professionals and the capability to think independently and make decisive decisions. 

I was able to obtain a corporate management trainee program for Hyatt International before my graduation and currently work in Baku, Azerbaijan. This is a great start for my career in the hospitality industry and I am looking forward to many new challenges and exciting experiences to come.

Studying at the Emirates Academy of Hospitality Management has benefited my life in many ways, both socially and professionally. The close knit community of The Emirates Academy of Hospitality Management meant that students and lecturers were given the platform to work very closely together – an element which most universities cannot match. This enabled me to build a professional relationship with my lecturers all of whom are recognized throughout the hospitality industry. I was also privileged to attend lectures and seminars by many industry leaders and key figureheads who were always inspiring and gave me an insight of the industry on many different levels.

The Emirates Academy of Hospitality also has a unique relationship with the Jumeirah Group which provided me with vast learning opportunities and encouraged us to work in our free time for some of the most coveted events in the world such as the Dubai Horseracing World Cup and the Dubai International Film Festival among others. I was also required to undergo a 20 week internship in a hotel of my choice, I enjoyed mine so much I stayed for an extra 4 weeks! I completed my internship in the 5* resort Casa de Campo, La Romana in the Dominican Republic, an experience I will never forget and always treasure. I put to practice what I learnt from my classes, gained a lot of knowledge through experience which could not have been taught in a classroom and was able to jump start my career.

The student life at The Academy was also an experience in itself. Literally, a melting pot of nationalities I was able to learn immensely about different kinds of people, cultures and traditions which will most definitely aid me in my social and professional life. Throughout my studies I met many friends who I am sure I will have a life long friendship and bond with. With the tools and skill sets acquired from my time studying and the constant support from The Emirates Academy of Hospitality Management, friends and family I graduated with a BA (Hons.) in Travel & Tourism Management. I then joined Jumeirah Zabeel Saray as part of the Conference and Events pre opening team in January 2011 – a challenging but memorable experience. I can say with the utmost confidence that studying at The Academy was one of the best choices I have made for my personal life, education and career.

The desire to accelerate my career brought me to The Emirates Academy of Hospitality Management.  Being part of the Jumeirah Group and the association with Ecole hôtelière de Lausanne made the decision easy.  My time at The Academy was filled not only with challenges but wonderful memories and many of my classmates and professors have now become my close friends and professional colleagues.
 
My first position after graduation was a Business Analyst for the Jumeirah Messilah Beach Hotel in Kuwait where I had the opportunity to prepare the Pre-Opening budgets for the entire hotel ranging from F&B, Rooms, Spa, to all other operational departments. When presenting these budgets to my GM, Corporate Directors, and Owner Representatives, I was very thankful not only for the well-rounded knowledge gained at The Academy, but most of all, the confidence to take on new challenges.

In my current role as Cluster Recruitment Manager for the Jumeirah Group, I have the opportunity to speak with candidates from reputed universities across all continents. The ability to relate to individuals from around the world was well honed at The Academy especially when we had students from over 60 countries.

I am proud to be a graduate of The Academy – many thanks to the faculty and my classmates for helping me build a solid foundation!                             

I graduated from The Emirates Academy of Hospitality Management in 2008 and joined Jumeirah Group as a Human Resources Coordinator and was a part of Jumeirah’s Corporate Development Programme - Aspiro. Since then I have held a few different roles in Dubai including Assistant HR Manager at Jumeirah Beach Hotel, before moving to the company’s Group & Corporate function as Group Manager, HR Systems in May 2010.  I am currently the Director of Human Resources Systems & Processes for Jumeirah Group.  

I truly enjoy working for this company as I have had lots of development opportunities and was even recently named a ‘Young Leader 2010 MENA Award’ finalist at the Arabian Hotel Investment Conference 2010.

Studying at The Emirates Academy of Hospitality Management no doubt helped to set me up for success within Jumeirah and the hospitality industry. I truly appreciated the supportive learning environment and close collaboration with industry partners, in addition to the association with Ecole hôtelière de Lausanne in Switzerland. I embarked on my work-life journey well-rounded, knowledgeable and with the necessary tools to kick-start my career!

On graduation, I joined Jumeirah Group as an Executive Research Analyst in the Executive Chairman’s Office where I was given the fantastic opportunity to work with Mr. Gerald Lawless himself and I gained further insight into the corporate world of Jumeirah Group. After a year I moved on to the Development Team as Development Manager and I have since taken on the role of Associate Director of Public Affairs. 

My future professional aspirations are definitely associated with Jumeirah, as I believe this company has tremendous potential and has already established itself as one of the finest world-class luxury international hotel and hospitality management groups.

I am always proud to make the statement of having graduated from The Emirates Academy of Hospitality Management – it has been a significant milestone of my life.

Even before I graduated from The Emirates Academy of Hospitality Management, I was offered a position as Assistant Manager (Quality), for Mina A'Salam and the Souk at Madinat Jumeirah.  I chose this job because it provided opportunities for me to grow and learn.  My responsibilites include analysing guest feedback and following up on complaints, conducting internal quality reviews to ensure the company adheres to ISO standards amongst many other exciting tasks. 

For my internship, I worked in a 5-star hotel in Thailand, where my experiences varied from Front Office duties to training new staff for a pre-opening; to attending high level meetings as Assistant to the General Manager.  The mixture of academic work at The Academy and hands-on experience from my industry placement, internship and part-time jobs provided an excellent foundation for the real world.  Hospitality is a 'people business' and the feeling you are left with after a hard day's work is worth a lot more than money can buy.

 

How can you explain what The Academy has offered me in few words? Well simply "Professional education, great career opportunities and an excellent insight to the world of hospitality".  From the moment I was greeted at the airport in 2002 till the day I graduated in 2006, my time at The Academy has been priceless and irreplaceable. 

The Academy has taken me through a journey that no other educational institution would. The opportunity to work for world class hotel chains such as Jumeirah Group and Accor Hospitality provided me with excellent hands-on experience during my studies. This enabled me to experience various aspects and challenges of the hospitality industry and allowed me to relate these to my studies in order to grow and create my foundation for the world of hospitality. 

The student life at The Academy allowed me to interact with a large multi-cultural group of friends, which not only created lifelong friendship but also taught me how to work and communicate with individuals from different cultural backgrounds. Cross-cultural communication being one of the major challenges in hospitality was perfected at The Academy. With over 60 different nationalities being represented, we lived, worked and studied in harmony.

Three months before graduating, I was offered a position with Four Seasons Hotels & Resorts, in their pre-opening team, for their Dubai property. An opportunity a true hotelier would never say no to. Working in different departments at Four Seasons Hotels & Resorts, allowed me to clearly identify my career path in hospitality and lead me to various new heights and experiences, which I highly value today in my current position. 

A few years later, I opted to take on a journey in Sales & Marketing at Jebel Ali International Hotels. Here I took on the role of Sales Manager for their various Dubai properties, handling the corporate market. Currently I hold a position of Business Development Manager, for Michael Chabowski Technical Services – MCTS, a leading commercial kitchen and laundry consultant for the hospitality world in the region.

I would like to thank The Academy for polishing the diamond in me during those fantastic years of studies that made me realise that my future is in the world of hospitality.

Having a degree from The Academy definitely opened doors when I first entered the industry and it has accelerated the pace of my career growth since. In my work life, I’ve applied the knowledge I gained from the courses I took at The Academy.  In addition, the internship placement I had in Paris in the Hyatt Regency certainly taught me alot about living in a different culture and dealing with customers.

The degree from The Academy as well as the work experience I gained during a few summers (one where I was part of the pre-opening team of the Môvenpick Hotel in Beirut and another where I worked on Jumeirah’s rebranding project) certainly gave me an additional competitive edge. By the time I graduated I had built up a strong resume.

My first job was with Kempinski at the Mall of the Emirates in Dubai, where I was an Assistant Outlet Manager on the pre-opening team. I was responsible for the 1000-seat Sezzam Dining. In 2008 I started working for Fairmont Raffles Hotels International, and I was subsequently promoted to Senior Manager.  Today, I'm the Director of Development overseeing Europe, Africa and the Middle East.