PRESTIGIOUS NEW PARTNERSHIP WITH UNIVERSITY OF QUEENSLAND
On 5th of December 2006, the University of Queensland (UQ) and the Blue Mountains Hotel School (BMHS) signed a five-year strategic partnership agreement whereby UQ’s School of Tourism, quality endorses BMHS’ own Bachelor of Business Degree to be delivered on the BMHS campus. BMHS and The University of Queensland will also use this agreement to pursue research projects into tourism industries in 2007.
“We are delighted to have such a prestigious partner in The University of Queensland’s School of Tourism and honoured to have our own Bachelor of Business degree program receive this endorsement” says BMHS Principal/CEO Mr Guy Bentley.
The University of Queensland is an internationally recognised centre of excellence in research and teaching and is a founding member of the Group of Eight, an alliance of research-strong universities committed to ensuring that Australia has higher education institutions which are genuinely world class. UQ is also the only member of the Group of Eight to feature comprehensive programs in tourism, leisure, and event and hospitality management.
The School of Tourism is the only university in Australia to be accredited by the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), and is currently the Chair of the UNWTO Education Council, the leading international organization in the field of tourism education. The School is also a founding member of the UNESCAP Asia Pacific Education and Training Institutes in Tourism, a member of the Pacific Asia Travel Associate Education and Training Committee and a member of the prestigious TTF Australia, a national member-funded CEO forum for the Australian transport, property, tourism and infrastructure sectors.
In 2005 the Blue Mountains Hotel School was the first private education provider in Australia to have its course accredited by the UN World Tourism Organization, an agency and forum of the United Nations. In 2005 BMHS also attained accreditation for its new courses from the Hotel and Catering Institute Management Association (HCIMA), the only internationally recognised professional management association for hospitality, leisure and tourism.
The new three-year Bachelor of Business Degree is underpinned by BMHS’ one-year Diploma of Food and Beverage Management and the two-year Associate Degree in Hotel and Resort Management. An Associate Degree of Tourism Management is currently under accreditation.
On 5th of December 2006, the University of Queensland (UQ) and the Blue Mountains Hotel School (BMHS) signed a five-year strategic partnership agreement whereby UQ’s School of Tourism, quality endorses BMHS’ own Bachelor of Business Degree to be delivered on the BMHS campus. BMHS and The University of Queensland will also use this agreement to pursue research projects into tourism industries in 2007.
“We are delighted to have such a prestigious partner in The University of Queensland’s School of Tourism and honoured to have our own Bachelor of Business degree program receive this endorsement” says BMHS Principal/CEO Mr Guy Bentley.
The University of Queensland is an internationally recognised centre of excellence in research and teaching and is a founding member of the Group of Eight, an alliance of research-strong universities committed to ensuring that Australia has higher education institutions which are genuinely world class. UQ is also the only member of the Group of Eight to feature comprehensive programs in tourism, leisure, and event and hospitality management.
The School of Tourism is the only university in Australia to be accredited by the United Nations World Tourism Organization (UNWTO), and is currently the Chair of the UNWTO Education Council, the leading international organization in the field of tourism education. The School is also a founding member of the UNESCAP Asia Pacific Education and Training Institutes in Tourism, a member of the Pacific Asia Travel Associate Education and Training Committee and a member of the prestigious TTF Australia, a national member-funded CEO forum for the Australian transport, property, tourism and infrastructure sectors.
In 2005 the Blue Mountains Hotel School was the first private education provider in Australia to have its course accredited by the UN World Tourism Organization, an agency and forum of the United Nations. In 2005 BMHS also attained accreditation for its new courses from the Hotel and Catering Institute Management Association (HCIMA), the only internationally recognised professional management association for hospitality, leisure and tourism.
The new three-year Bachelor of Business Degree is underpinned by BMHS’ one-year Diploma of Food and Beverage Management and the two-year Associate Degree in Hotel and Resort Management. An Associate Degree of Tourism Management is currently under accreditation.
FAREWELL-TO-SCHOOL/WELCOME-TO-ALUMNI LUNCH
Congratulations are due to the event management students Mr Jae Hee Kim, Mr James Lee and their colleagues who organised the stand-up finger food and champagne lunch to welcome the departing 3.2 students into the alumni on 6 December, 2006. Thanks also go to Ms Jacques Wong for her beautiful piano accompaniment during the event.
The décor included a monster mortar board rendered in black cardboard complete with over-sized tassle, wall hangings with the words ‘Good Bye and Good Luck’ in different languages and several Graduate Stories and Journeys profile posters from the 15th anniversary Celebrating Alumni exhibition.
Nearly all current 3.2s attended and enjoyed mingling with each other and their lecturers. Guests included the Principal Mr Guy Bentley, the Career Development Manager Ms Janette Illingsworth, the Rooms Division Manager, Mr Jeff Wunderlich, and the newly appointed Vice Principal, Hotel Services, Mr Steven Tucker. Students were invited to register on the alumni website on laptops in the café during the event.
In a short speech Deputy Principal Mr Val Cook welcomed all guests and talked about the importance of graduates keeping in touch, both professionally and personally. Mr Cook and Mr Bentley then made three special encouragement presentations, the Three Pillar awards, to Mr Deepik Singh (Level 1), Mr Charlie Tickler (Level 2) and Ms Ashley Lee (Level 3.1) in recognition of individual achievement and contribution to campus life this semester.
Congratulations are due to the event management students Mr Jae Hee Kim, Mr James Lee and their colleagues who organised the stand-up finger food and champagne lunch to welcome the departing 3.2 students into the alumni on 6 December, 2006. Thanks also go to Ms Jacques Wong for her beautiful piano accompaniment during the event.
The décor included a monster mortar board rendered in black cardboard complete with over-sized tassle, wall hangings with the words ‘Good Bye and Good Luck’ in different languages and several Graduate Stories and Journeys profile posters from the 15th anniversary Celebrating Alumni exhibition.
Nearly all current 3.2s attended and enjoyed mingling with each other and their lecturers. Guests included the Principal Mr Guy Bentley, the Career Development Manager Ms Janette Illingsworth, the Rooms Division Manager, Mr Jeff Wunderlich, and the newly appointed Vice Principal, Hotel Services, Mr Steven Tucker. Students were invited to register on the alumni website on laptops in the café during the event.
In a short speech Deputy Principal Mr Val Cook welcomed all guests and talked about the importance of graduates keeping in touch, both professionally and personally. Mr Cook and Mr Bentley then made three special encouragement presentations, the Three Pillar awards, to Mr Deepik Singh (Level 1), Mr Charlie Tickler (Level 2) and Ms Ashley Lee (Level 3.1) in recognition of individual achievement and contribution to campus life this semester.
A MULTICULTURAL SPRING GRADUATION
“We researched hotel schools all around the world – like any parents we had choices, options, alternatives – and we unhesitatingly chose the Blue Mountains Hotel School for our son to graduate with his hotel management qualification,” said Maharana Shriji Arvind Singhji Mewar, the 76th custodian of the royal House of Mewar, the world’s oldest continuing dynasty in Udaipur, Rajasthan, India, and a VIP guest speaker at Blue Mountains Hotel School’s graduation ceremony, held at Peppers Fairmont in Leura on 7 December.
The Maharana Mewar is the proud father of BMHS graduating student Lakshyaraj Mewar, better known to his fellow students as Raj, who will return to India to help his father run the family business, the HRH Group of Hotels : a collection of magnificent Grand Heritage palace- and Royal Retreat –hotels in Rajasthan, most famously the Lake Palace in Udaipur.
Following an excellent buffet lunch of international food in the courtyard and fine-dining room on the Leura campus, the BMHS Spring Graduation ceremony at Peppers Fairmont was attended by eighty-seven graduands, industry representatives, parents, friends and relatives and was marked by the theme of multiculturalism.
Director Mr Fritz Gubler’s opening address focused on the need for intercultural awareness as a keystone to education for the hospitality industry leading to better communication and mutual understanding. He looked at how the BMHS experience was “a living, breathing lesson every day in cultural awareness and respect” and how the ORION hotels school philosophy and support for Sala Bai hotel school in Cambodia expressed these values.
Principal/CEO Mr Guy Bentley highlighted some of the major developments of what he described as “a momentous year” for the Blue Mountains Hotel School including the campus refurbishment, the record number of events including cultural events, the ORION conference, congress, and 15th anniversary celebrations, and the changes to faculty, curriculum and management.
The Maharana Mewar congratulated the school on a fine job of educating his son while urging the audience of young would-be GMs to embrace “wisdom and experience” alongside their education and to “always be conscientious about the people, the society and the economy beyond the hotel and the company you work for.”
The main guest speaker was 1995 BMHS graduate Mr James Robson. On graduation in 1995, James started his career with Rydges as a Front Office Manager in Canberra and at the Wentworth in Sydney. From 2000 until the end of 2005, James was a GM for Rydges properties in Australia and New Zealand including Coloundra, Darwin, Queenstown in New Zealand and North Sydney. In January 2006, James became the manager of his family’s business, Ross Hill Vineyards at Orange, a well-known wine and fine produce region in western NSW.
James shared his insights about what qualities are needed at each stage of one’s career in hotels from supervisory positions to middle management to the role of General Manager for which “there is no job description.” His wise words of advice and his striking and funny stories from his own experiences were well received by the audience of graduands.
The Dux of the Advanced Diploma award went to Ms Rosemary Higgerson. The following ORION awards were presented - BMHS teamwork and rapport to Ms Laurence De Gaye , AEB international Career Development ambassador to Ms Jessica Markham, PIHMS commitment to industry to Mr Charles Jonas, AIHS award for raising the academic profile of the school to Ms Vivien Nguyen, the CTMI award for representing values of the Three Pillars to Ms Kate Sims and the STS award Quiet Achiever award to Ms Lorene Walsh. SRC Presidents Mr Kevin Nathaniel presented the SRC award to Mr Tim Ford.
The official party included Mr Juerg Casserini, Consul-General of Switzerland, Associate Professor Muayyad Jabri from the University of New England, Ms Jocelyn Martin, Principal AIHS and Mr Tim Sexton, BMHS Industry Advisory Board (and the father of graduating student Mr James Sexton)
Industry guests included Mr Richard Rosebery, Director of SELECT hotels, and Ms Susan Hori, Assistant Manager Human Resources, Four Seasons Sydney. Ms Hori was delighted to catch up with graduates Mr Rohan Clarke and Ms Raina Raniga who have just both been accepted into the Four Season management traineeship program.
“We researched hotel schools all around the world – like any parents we had choices, options, alternatives – and we unhesitatingly chose the Blue Mountains Hotel School for our son to graduate with his hotel management qualification,” said Maharana Shriji Arvind Singhji Mewar, the 76th custodian of the royal House of Mewar, the world’s oldest continuing dynasty in Udaipur, Rajasthan, India, and a VIP guest speaker at Blue Mountains Hotel School’s graduation ceremony, held at Peppers Fairmont in Leura on 7 December.
The Maharana Mewar is the proud father of BMHS graduating student Lakshyaraj Mewar, better known to his fellow students as Raj, who will return to India to help his father run the family business, the HRH Group of Hotels : a collection of magnificent Grand Heritage palace- and Royal Retreat –hotels in Rajasthan, most famously the Lake Palace in Udaipur.
Following an excellent buffet lunch of international food in the courtyard and fine-dining room on the Leura campus, the BMHS Spring Graduation ceremony at Peppers Fairmont was attended by eighty-seven graduands, industry representatives, parents, friends and relatives and was marked by the theme of multiculturalism.
Director Mr Fritz Gubler’s opening address focused on the need for intercultural awareness as a keystone to education for the hospitality industry leading to better communication and mutual understanding. He looked at how the BMHS experience was “a living, breathing lesson every day in cultural awareness and respect” and how the ORION hotels school philosophy and support for Sala Bai hotel school in Cambodia expressed these values.
Principal/CEO Mr Guy Bentley highlighted some of the major developments of what he described as “a momentous year” for the Blue Mountains Hotel School including the campus refurbishment, the record number of events including cultural events, the ORION conference, congress, and 15th anniversary celebrations, and the changes to faculty, curriculum and management.
The Maharana Mewar congratulated the school on a fine job of educating his son while urging the audience of young would-be GMs to embrace “wisdom and experience” alongside their education and to “always be conscientious about the people, the society and the economy beyond the hotel and the company you work for.”
The main guest speaker was 1995 BMHS graduate Mr James Robson. On graduation in 1995, James started his career with Rydges as a Front Office Manager in Canberra and at the Wentworth in Sydney. From 2000 until the end of 2005, James was a GM for Rydges properties in Australia and New Zealand including Coloundra, Darwin, Queenstown in New Zealand and North Sydney. In January 2006, James became the manager of his family’s business, Ross Hill Vineyards at Orange, a well-known wine and fine produce region in western NSW.
James shared his insights about what qualities are needed at each stage of one’s career in hotels from supervisory positions to middle management to the role of General Manager for which “there is no job description.” His wise words of advice and his striking and funny stories from his own experiences were well received by the audience of graduands.
The Dux of the Advanced Diploma award went to Ms Rosemary Higgerson. The following ORION awards were presented - BMHS teamwork and rapport to Ms Laurence De Gaye , AEB international Career Development ambassador to Ms Jessica Markham, PIHMS commitment to industry to Mr Charles Jonas, AIHS award for raising the academic profile of the school to Ms Vivien Nguyen, the CTMI award for representing values of the Three Pillars to Ms Kate Sims and the STS award Quiet Achiever award to Ms Lorene Walsh. SRC Presidents Mr Kevin Nathaniel presented the SRC award to Mr Tim Ford.
The official party included Mr Juerg Casserini, Consul-General of Switzerland, Associate Professor Muayyad Jabri from the University of New England, Ms Jocelyn Martin, Principal AIHS and Mr Tim Sexton, BMHS Industry Advisory Board (and the father of graduating student Mr James Sexton)
Industry guests included Mr Richard Rosebery, Director of SELECT hotels, and Ms Susan Hori, Assistant Manager Human Resources, Four Seasons Sydney. Ms Hori was delighted to catch up with graduates Mr Rohan Clarke and Ms Raina Raniga who have just both been accepted into the Four Season management traineeship program.
Proud fathers and sons. Graduating student Mr James Sexton with his father Mr Tim Sexton, member of the BMHS Industry Advisory Board.
Proud fathers and sons. Special guest speaker Maharana Shriji Arvind Singhji Mewar and his graduate son Lakshyaraj ‘Raj’ Mewar.
Maharana Shriji Arvind Singhji Mewar expresses his pride on graduation day.
PBMHS graduate (1995) Mr James Robson addresses his fellow BMHS graduates.
(L-R) Ms Janelle Harvey and Ms Carla Salvatori
(L-R) Mr Tobias Susanto, Mr Akbar Muliono and Ms San-San Santosa.
(L-R) Mr Linton Borthwick, Mr James Rowden and Mr Val Cook.
(L-R) Mr Don Whitford, Area Manager (Qld/Vic) and Mr Alex Watt.
(L-R) Mr Steven Barr, Mr Ben Rosten, Mr Andrew Seargeant and BMHS Director Mr Max Player.
(L-R) Ms Narell McKenna-Neville and BMHS Director Mr Fritz Gubler.
SYDNEY ALUMNI REUNION AT THE ARTHOUSE HOTEL
Thanks are due to Mr Nick Austin (graduated 1998), Operations Manager at the Arthouse Hotel, 275 Pitt Street (next door to the Hilton) for helping organise the very successful Sydney alumni reunion in the upstairs Attic Bar on 11 December, 2006.
Deputy Principal Mr Val Cook is happy to report an excellent turn out in excess of 50 guests from a wide spread of years including Ms Cassandra Diamond (1993), Mr Alistair and Mr James Perry Weston (1993), Mr Alex Watt (1994), Mr Ben Rosten (1994), Mr Steven Barr (1995), Mr Andrew Seargeant (1995), Mr James Rowden (1998), Mr Justin Steel (2000), Ms Narell McKenna-Neville (2001), Ms Jeannie Fullerton (2001), Ms Eva-Lotta Baad (2002), Ms Sophie Mougel (2002), Ms Olga Tchijova (2002), Ms Olga Komiakova (2002), Mr Linton Borthwick (2003), Mr Jason Barber (2003), Mr Todd Creighton (2003), Mr Andrey Ignatchenko (2003), Mr Pankaj Biwal (2004), Ms Carla Salvatori (2004), Mr Tobias Susanto (2005), Ms San-San Santosa (2005), Mr Akbar Muliono (2005), Mr James Sexton (2006), Ms Solveig Plessing (2006), Ms Yvonne Cheung (2006) and Ms Amanda Murphy (2006).
Members of staff included Ms Janette Illingsworth (Career Development Manager) and Ms Candy Cole (Career Development Officer), Mr Julian Leatherdale (PR Manager/Alumni), Ms Samantha Alston (Executive Assistant/Alumni), Ms Julie Henderson (lecturer, grad 1993), Mr Adam Sargeant (Recruitment Coordinator, grad 2003), Ms Andrea Gauntlett (Recruitment Coordinator, grad 2003), Mr Don Whitford (Area Manager QLD/VIC) and Ms Maree Burns (Area Manager NSW/ACT).
Mr Cook conveyed his special thanks to BMHS Directors Mr Fritz Gubler and Mr Max Player for their attendance. The Directors enjoyed catching up with familiar faces from the past and hearing all the latest industry gossip. Congratulations also to those alumni who were expecting babies in the New Year; five pregnant alumni were present at the function.
Thanks are due to Mr Nick Austin (graduated 1998), Operations Manager at the Arthouse Hotel, 275 Pitt Street (next door to the Hilton) for helping organise the very successful Sydney alumni reunion in the upstairs Attic Bar on 11 December, 2006.
Deputy Principal Mr Val Cook is happy to report an excellent turn out in excess of 50 guests from a wide spread of years including Ms Cassandra Diamond (1993), Mr Alistair and Mr James Perry Weston (1993), Mr Alex Watt (1994), Mr Ben Rosten (1994), Mr Steven Barr (1995), Mr Andrew Seargeant (1995), Mr James Rowden (1998), Mr Justin Steel (2000), Ms Narell McKenna-Neville (2001), Ms Jeannie Fullerton (2001), Ms Eva-Lotta Baad (2002), Ms Sophie Mougel (2002), Ms Olga Tchijova (2002), Ms Olga Komiakova (2002), Mr Linton Borthwick (2003), Mr Jason Barber (2003), Mr Todd Creighton (2003), Mr Andrey Ignatchenko (2003), Mr Pankaj Biwal (2004), Ms Carla Salvatori (2004), Mr Tobias Susanto (2005), Ms San-San Santosa (2005), Mr Akbar Muliono (2005), Mr James Sexton (2006), Ms Solveig Plessing (2006), Ms Yvonne Cheung (2006) and Ms Amanda Murphy (2006).
Members of staff included Ms Janette Illingsworth (Career Development Manager) and Ms Candy Cole (Career Development Officer), Mr Julian Leatherdale (PR Manager/Alumni), Ms Samantha Alston (Executive Assistant/Alumni), Ms Julie Henderson (lecturer, grad 1993), Mr Adam Sargeant (Recruitment Coordinator, grad 2003), Ms Andrea Gauntlett (Recruitment Coordinator, grad 2003), Mr Don Whitford (Area Manager QLD/VIC) and Ms Maree Burns (Area Manager NSW/ACT).
Mr Cook conveyed his special thanks to BMHS Directors Mr Fritz Gubler and Mr Max Player for their attendance. The Directors enjoyed catching up with familiar faces from the past and hearing all the latest industry gossip. Congratulations also to those alumni who were expecting babies in the New Year; five pregnant alumni were present at the function.