At the heart of hospitality

EAHM offers BBA and MBA degrees with a focus in International Hospitality Management

The Emirates Academy of Hospitality Management (EAHM) is one of the leading hospitality institutions in the UAE and is recognised globally as one of the top 10 best hotel schools in the world. Located at the centre of the city's hospitality hub, across the Burj Al Arab and Madinat Jumeirah, it offers undergraduate and postgraduate degrees in Business Administration with emphasis on International Hospitality Management. Furthermore, EAHM has an extensive industry partner network that extends beyond the hospitality sector, and offers a 96 per cent job placement rate upon graduation. EAHM is part of the Jumeirah Group, whose parent company is Dubai Holdings.
Judy Hou, Managing Director, EAHM told Khaleej Times: "The unique advantage we possess as a hospitality institution is that we are the only homegrown hospitality institution that offers university level degrees."

Judy Hou
Triple assurance
EAHM offers a January, April and September intake, providing a flexible option to students. Another feather in EAHM's cap is that it is recognised by the higher education authorities in the UAE, UK, and Australia.
"The triple accreditation is quite unique for us," remarked Judy Hou. "We are not only the only hospitality institution recognised by the Ministry of Education UAE, but are also recognised by the International Centre of Excellence (ICE), Australia, and are accredited by the UK Institute of Hospitality (IOH). Due to the triple recognition, the degree is transferable and recognised by most countries, so students can take their degree anywhere."
She added that since the qualifications are in business administration rather than a typical hospitality degree, it makes the skillset and the knowledge gained from EAHM transferable.
"We know that there is certainly growth in the travel/tourism sector here. But our degrees transcend this industry and go into sectors like banking, asset management, FMCG, luxury brands, events management, consulting, and entrepreneurship," she said.
Distinct advantage
The hospitality industry has evolved over the years and one needs to be business savvy and have financial acumen to make their mark. Today, it has become a well-established fact that to succeed in the competitive marketplace, a bachelor's degree is just not enough.
"Almost 65 per cent of our students from the MBA programme are from the hospitality industry, while the other 35 per cent are from other sectors and would like to get a hospitality degree in order to transition into the sector. Some of the students are working full-time, while doing their MBA part-time, as our programme schedule is flexible," she explained.
Judy Hou observed that from a hospitality standpoint, Dubai is constantly reinventing itself. Therefore, EAHM's aim as an entity is to grow, supply talent, and support the industry. The Academy strives to educate not only the students but also, the parents about the opportunity that the hospitality degree and industry can offer.
She stressed: "As opposed to a run-of-the-mill business degree, we offer so much more. We talk to students and say, experience our academy and courses for a day, and then make the decision." 
Exchange programmes
Judy Hou emphasised that EAHM has a number of university partners and offers students not studying hospitality the opportunity to do a semester here.
Moreover, EAHM's academic association with Ecole Hoteliere de Lausanne (EHL) makes its curriculum among the best in the world and gives students the opportunity to do an exchange semester in Switzerland during their studies. EAHM also has a partnership with the US-based Cornell University's, School of Hotel Management, under the College of Business. 
"We are currently in the process of working with EHL to do a two + two top-up programme, so for two years a student can study with us and if they meet the entry requirements of EHL, they can complete the rest of the programme in Switzerland. Basically, students get two degrees," Judy Hou said.
Hands-on experience
EAHM encourages students to work part-time and to participate in events. Judy Hou commented that EAHM's intent is to produce future leaders for the industry and provide a personalised learning experience.
"Our classes include no more than 15-20 students, as it is important for us to know every single student. Currently, 250 students are enrolled with us. Our students are not just a number for us, we know their strengths and challenges and we take pride in that," she explained. "I have a mandate from the company to triple our size in the next five years. Even if we get to 700, we would still be a boutique hospitality school that lays emphasis on individual needs."
A walk around the campus gives a close-knit community feel. EAHM's faculty lives on campus, and has academic advisors and counsellors that help international students, who stay on campus, with adjustments. Plus, the industry liaison office helps place students, and guides them on how to properly construct a CV, etc.
When asked about future plans, Judy Hou mentioned that EAHM is working on offering a couple of new specialisations as a part of its BBA course. These include event, finance, and luxury brand management, among others.
- deepa@khaleejtimes.com

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