Swiss Hotel Management School Dean visits East China Normal University to explore deepening ties between the universities

On 23 March 2023, Dominic Szambowski, PhD, Dean of Swiss Hotel Management School (Swiss Education Group Switzerland), and members of a delegation from Swiss Education Group China came to East China Normal University (ECNU), where Dr. Szambowski was invited to deliver a keynote address at an important gathering of leaders of the two institutions. During the meeting the leaders had in-depth discussions about future collaboration, such as holding presidents’ lectures, recommending additional areas of postgraduate study, promoting MTA project cooperation, and jointly holding international forums to integrate the advantages of both institutions’ industrial and academic resources.

Leaders from Swiss Education Group China visiting the picturesque ECNU campus included Mr. Rongming Hu, Director of Institutional Cooperation; Mr. Jianhui He, Director of Institutional Cooperation Program; Mr. Guanghua Zheng, Director of Operations; and Mr. Zhe Huang, Regional SEG Director.  

Representatives of ECNU included Prof. Zhenyu Du, Director of the Department of International Cooperation and Exchange; Prof. Xiaoyan Liu, Program Supervisor; Prof. Enxin Gao, Deputy Director of the Department of Economics and Management; Prof. Yong Yang, Deputy Director of the Department of Business Administration; Associate Prof. Wenzhi Wu, Director of the Department of Tourism and Exhibition of the School of Business Administration; and Prof. Yuqing Wu, Director of the ECNU Department of Foreign Affairs.

Leaders from Swiss Education Group China visiting the picturesque ECNU campus included Mr. Rongming Hu, Director of Institutional Cooperation; Mr. Jianhui He, Director of Institutional Cooperation Program; Mr. Guanghua Zheng, Director of Operations; and Mr. Zhe Huang, Regional SEG Director.  

Representatives of ECNU included Prof. Zhenyu Du, Director of the Department of International Cooperation and Exchange; Prof. Xiaoyan Liu, Program Supervisor; Prof. Enxin Gao, Deputy Director of the Department of Economics and Management; Prof. Yong Yang, Deputy Director of the Department of Business Administration; Associate Prof. Wenzhi Wu, Director of the Department of Tourism and Exhibition of the School of Business Administration; and Prof. Yuqing Wu, Director of the ECNU Department of Foreign Affairs.

The very productive meeting was opened by ECNU’s Prof. Zhenyu Du, who delivered warm and enthusiastic welcoming remarks in which he told of the long history of the university and described the rich campus setting. He emphasized the university’s strong teaching and research capability to his valued colleagues from Swiss Education Group.

Next, Prof. Enxin Gao introduced ECNU’s program of international cooperation and exchange, in which the university has signed academic cooperation and exchange agreements with more than 300 universities and research institutions around the world, covering short-term academic visits, academic seminars, academic cooperation projects, and more. In the future, more and more ECNU students will take advantage of this program to experience and grow in an international educational environment.

After listening to the presentations of the two ECNU professors, Dr. Szambowski spoke highly of the teaching, research, and innovation capability of ECNU. He observed that the university, as a "Project 985" with a long history, has a strong faculty and has matriculated many outstanding and famous Chinese scholars and historical celebrities. With such a storied record of success, he noted that Swiss Education Group welcomes excellent ECNU students to come to Switzerland for exchange studies.

Dr. Szambowski then explained in detail the key elements of his school , as well as the other three of SEG's four world-class universities, touching on aspects of the student body, the faculty, social services, international cooperation, infrastructure and equipment, and academic freedom. He detailed the fundamental differences between the four Swiss Education Group schools and other similar hotel management universities around the world.

Dr. Szambowski emphasized that the four SEG schools have always maintained a vital, up-to-date emphasis on providing education and training that is closely integrated with the latest of society’s values and trends. The school constantly assesses the development needs of the industry, routinely promoting practical education. Never resting on its laurels, the school continuously improves the training system, leading students to explore the developing trends of the industry. Students are encouraged to be interest-oriented, to improve themselves with practice, and to strive to stay at the forefront of academia and industry.

After the leaders’ gathering, Dr. Szambowski met with ECNU students for a spirited presentation and discussion on the topic: "Hospitality Never Ends". Dr. Szambowski said that the hospitality market has great potential, but that there are also some challenges to be aware of. He then described three key factors affecting the development of hospitality from the perspective of the managers of famous universities around the world: habitual thinking, the development of new technologies, and the impact of the global pandemic.

Dr. Szambowski observed that the hospitality industry is an enduring industry. Years of growth and development have accumulated rich experience in this industry, but at the same time, some practitioners are stuck in a fixed-thinking mode that lacks innovation.

The make his point, he showed photos of hotel rooms and asked the students: "Can you tell which hotels these are from the decoration and design of the rooms? No, you don't know which hotels they are, because they all look the same. They all have the standard answer for five-star hotel decor. On the other hand, the most popular Airbnb hostels are unique and memorable. These are excellent examples of cutting-edge industries that traditional job-seekers can learn from."

Dr. Szambowski emphasized that SEG schools teach students to lead the industry out of the old conventional ways of thinking. "I value the ability of students to access cutting-edge academic and industry information, which will not only bring them better development but also promote the reform and development of the whole industry,” he added. “SEG produces hospitality professionals who are forward-thinking and innovative in this way”.

When it comes to the development of new technologies, Dr. Szambowski was full of praise for the smart robots that are widely used in Chinese hotels. "China's technology in this aspect is very advanced, and this year we plan to purchase this kind of robot from China to demonstrate to our students." He also showed the robot video he shot for his students while on this trip, saying in jest

that that alone made the trip to China worthwhile. "New technologies such as robotics and AI will transform industries,” he said. “We should embrace the change and use the new technology to promote our development rather than try to compete with machines."

The three-year Covid pandemic is an inextricable topic for global hospitality, having left the hospitality industry to deal with the various challenges in its aftermath. But Dr. Szambowski proved to be more optimistic than otherwise. "The experience of the pandemic has made the whole industry pay more attention to the health of customers and how to provide safer and healthier services,” he observed. “The pandemic was far from being enough to make the industry die out; on the contrary, it resulted in better developments and improvements. I always believe that the industry will never end."

During the question-and-answer session, Dr. Szambowski and the students actively interacted on the development of the health industry, the gap between domestic and foreign hospitality, personalized/customized hotels, and other topics. He answered the students' questions enthusiastically and noted that he was pleased by the unique and interesting opinions of the students.

After the student session, Dr. Szambowski and the SEG China delegation were invited by ECNU student representatives to visit the campus with its beautiful scenery and profound cultural heritage.

The SEG visitors from Switzerland and China thoroughly enjoy the charm of "the most beautiful campus in Shanghai", including the time-honored literature and history building (formerly known as the Talents’ Hall); the exquisite and unique Xianglin Academy; the simple and tidy two-story office, called the "Little Red Building"; the "School River" (Liwa River); and the scenic beauty of Xianyu Island – a fitting way for the productive exchange between prestigious schools in China and Switzerland to draw to a successful close.