The
Swiss Hotel Schools Association (ASEH)
Switzerland, the pioneer country in hotel management
education and training has more than a century of
history in preparing world leaders for the hotel business.
Although the tourism industry from the late 19th century
through the years during and after World War Two was
not active on a large scale, being available only
for the rich and wealthy, today it has become the
largest economic factor in the world.
What's
the difference!
The
Swiss hotel schools became famous due to the mixture
of practical and theoretical education and training,
through their dedication to professionalism and discipline
in a multicultural environment.
Joining
a Swiss hotel school, means joining something like
the United Nations of hoteliers. Most of the schools
have a large variety of nationalities and races among
their student bodies. At "César Ritz",
for example, about 500 students come to study every
year from over 40 countries. Alumni are spread all
over the globe and create a real network of hospitality
professionals. The faculty is composed of instructors
and professors from 15 countries; they are well-experienced
international hotel professionals as well as highly
distinguished professors from business and general
education fields. Technical installations for practical
training are 'five star' quality and IT and theory
classrooms meet world-class standards. Students cannot
graduate from the Swiss schools without having completed
some practical work experience in a hotel or restaurant.
These practical training periods vary from 6 months
to one year and usually take place in the Swiss hospitality
industry.
This
is not the case with hotel management schools in other
countries in the world. Often hospitality management
degrees are offered at the larger universities. These
programs generally lack the professional component
and practical training. In other countries one can
find excellent hotel schools preparing students to
become chefs, headwaiters and rooms division managers.
Those schools lack the management and academic side.
ASEH
The
Swiss Hotel Schools Association was founded in 1986
with the aim of protecting
the good image of the existing, traditional hotel
schools. All these schools taught their programs in
German or French. It was only in 1980 that the first
English teaching schools opened their doors and challenged
the established schools. The first English teaching
colleges were Ecole des Roches in Bluche and Hotelconsult
"César Ritz" Colleges in Brig. At
present ASEH groups Switzerland's 12 leading hotel
management schools, teaching their programs in French,
German, and/or English (8 of which teach programs
in English).
Quality
assurance and guarantee
Member
Schools include the official schools of the Swiss
Hotel Association, Gastrosuisse, and the Swiss Union
of Hotel Employees. The Association welcomes hotel
management schools located in Switzerland who meet
and abide by the strict standards of quality outlined
in its bylaws.
To
become a member of ASEH, every school applying has
to undergo very strict procedures for accreditation.
High quality educational and professional standards
are maintained, thereby ensuring an exceptional education
in the hotel trade for each of its students.
ASEH
establishes standards of quality for professional
education and training.
ASEH
member schools are Hotel & Restaurant management
schools offering courses leading to a Swiss Hotel
Management Diploma.
ASEH
member schools follow high Swiss standards of professional
education and industry experience.
ASEH
prescribes high ethical standards in promotion and
advertising.
The
purpose of ASEH today is to accredit Swiss Hotel Schools.
It has established strict academic, professional and
ethical standards for its members, and schools are
inspected on a regular basis. ASEH is now a stamp
of guarantee for quality hotel management education.
The accreditation team is composed of professionals
and experts from the Swiss Federal Office of Technology
and Education. (OFFT).
Unfortunately
there are also some purely business oriented hotel
schools in Switzerland, which have never applied for
accreditation by ASEH, and are therefore not controlled
in the same rigorous way. Some of these schools destroy
the excellent reputation of the ASEH schools and it
is recommended that future students look at the membership
directory of the ASEH accredited schools under http://www.aseh.ch
or ask for information at the ASEH office:
Swiss Hotel Schools Association (ASEH)
CH- 7000 Chur (Switzerland)
Tel: 0041-79-402 77 77 Fax: 0041-81-255 12 19 Email: info@aseh.ch
Member schools are:
