Masters students of Hotel and Tourism attend classes at luxury hotel premises

Linking industry and academia

For the first time, postgraduate students attending the MSc in Management (Hotel and Tourism Management) had the opportunity to attend the fully restructured unit of ‘Strategic Hotel Management’ at the actual hotel premises of top hotels in Thessaloniki, namely, The MET Hotel, Hyatt and Domotel. Part of the unit includes presentations by senior hotel management staff, when classes are delivered at hotel premises, while the rest of the unit’s classes take place at the campus of the International Faculty, by Dr Giovanni Serafini, who is the unit leader.

The first three classes have already been delivered on three separate dates (17 and 23 March at the MET hotel and 12 April at the Hyatt Regency Thessaloniki).

The first two classes have already been delivered on two separate dates (17 and 23 March at the MET hotel. The aim was twofold: first, to understand the way Human Resource Management functions in the business reality of a world-class five-star property; second, to offer the opportunity to our students to present to the management team the results of their research on specific business challenges related to HRM in hotels.

Our students reported that their experience was particularly enriching due to the eager collaboration of Ms Georgia Routsou, HR Director of the MET and alumna of the International Faculty, CITY College, as well as of the whole MET hotel team.

The second visit at the Hyatt Regency Thessaloniki was aimed at exploring the way hotel operations are managed in a leading world-class property. In order to put students into context, the visit began with a tour of the stunning premises under the guidance of Ms. Matina Nikita, Personnel Supervisor and a Sheffield University International Faculty, CITY College alumna herself. Read more about the visit at the Hyatt Regency Thessaloniki.

Dr Dimitrios Nikolaidis, Head of the Business Administration and Economics Department also commented: "Though strategic synergies with luxury hotels and resorts, we aim at better liaising with the job market and qualify and prepare the graduate of 2020. These collaborations prove to be truly beneficial to our students."

Dr Serafini commented: "The Strategic Hotel Management unit stands out because it perfectly combines theoretical and practical knowledge. By drawing from the contribution of the lecturer's and managers' own professional experiences in luxury properties, students are prepared for the real world of hotel management."

This initiative derives from and is in full alignment with the International Faculty’s philosophy to link the academia with the industry through partnerships involving leading hotel companies in the area. As the semester unfolds, the students are planned to visit The Hyatt Regency Thessaloniki (April) and Domotel (May).