As hospitality business is showing upward trend in Nepal, qualification of hospitality course is boon

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Ashesh Maharjan photo
Ashesh Maharjan

Ashesh Maharjan
Chairperson
Academy of Culinary Arts and Hospitality Management

Mr. Ashesh Maharjan is the chairperson at Academy of Culinary Arts and Hospitality Management— one of the best hotel management colleges in Nepal. The college had commenced Diploma in Culinary Arts program in 2010 AD, and subsequently, it started Bachelor’s of Science (Hons.) in Hospitality Management in 2014 AD.

Mr. Maharjan adds that their expertise in hospitality industry and their national and international affiliation and collaboration with world’s renowned hospitality organizations have enabled them to provide highly comprehensive hospitality education in Nepal. A hotel management course is a blend of theoretical and practical components as it is the need of today and tomorrow’s employers and hospitality leaders. He shares his view on increasing demand of hospitality and management graduates in the global economy. Excerpts:

Could you highlight the unique features of Academy of Culinary Arts and Hospitality Management?

Academy of Culinary Arts and Hospitality Management is managed and run by a group of like-minded professionals with sterling experience in hospitality management education. It focuses on both practical and theoretical education in culinary arts and hospitality management. It produces highly qualified hospitality graduates and encourages them to be entrepreneurs. The college provides essential training to the collegiate for developing competency in entrepreneurship. It also focuses on developing skills and efficiency in its products in order to get a suitable job.

How do you acknowledge the performance of your graduates in the global market?

We have given high importance to practical orientation along with theoretical knowledge. Our graduates are provided strategic, managerial and research-oriented skills and knowledge in hospitality sector. Moreover, we provide professional skills required for the hospitality sector, too. So, our graduates are capable, efficient, skilled and work with positive attitude. They have learned all types of skills, efficiency and expertise to be entrepreneurs. As per our available data, all our graduates are showing their outstanding performance in their job landing sector as well as entrepreneurship. They have been placed in reputed hotels, resorts and cruise lines around the world.

What is the difference between the hotel management course run by a foreign university and a domestic university?

Foreign university designs the courses and updates them in a timely manner by analyzing the need and demand of market. It focuses on practical orientation. It adopts modern teaching pedagogy. All these traits are scarcely found in the courses offered by domestic universities.

You have been operating culinary and hospitality management courses. How is the craze and scope of these courses among Nepalese youths?

Culinary and Hospitality Management courses have wider scope and huge opportunity globally. In the recent times, the culture of organizing international excursion has been increasing throughout the world. Nepalese are also developing the culture of visiting different places as domestic tourists. So, we can say that there is significance of hospitality from a hut to palace. In addition, human resources of hospitality management run their businesses from bucolic areas to urban areas, such as home stay to accommodation at five-star hotels. Our graduates can run home-stay amenity as a business and many more businesses. Since this sector has a wider scope and prospect is increasing in the passage of time.

The trend of Nepalese youths going to foreign lands for higher studies after ten-plus-two graduation has not been diminished yet although you have been offering an array of foreign university affiliated courses in Nepal. What suggestions would you like to give to those students who are driven by a motive of settling themselves in a foreign swathe?

The students developed the mindset of going to foreign lands for higher education due to a decade-long civil war and political instability. It is the continuation of the past. In my opinion, pursuing a course in a foreign land can be defined as losing the identity as an expat. In most condition, students hardly return to Nepal with the motivation of serving the country. But students, who have studied in Nepal, pay their attention to government service through which they likely to serve the country. Similarly, students, who are in pursuit of education in a foreign land, have to undergo several difficulties which are the stumbling-block for their incomplete studies. Working for six hours is enough only for accommodation and food, and they have to work additional four hours for other expenses. Not only this, parents also have high expectation from their children as they have to invest as much as 2-3 million rupees while confirming their admission at foreign university/ college. So, they even have to reimburse the money spent on their education which gives them extra burden and pressure to earn money by hook or by crook. As a result, they have to discontinue their study. However, students wishing to pursue their higher education in Nepal do not have to suffer any such problems. So, I suggest students they should study in Nepal to get uninterrupted opportunity to complete their courses. And upon completing their course, they get a high paying job or they can embark on entrepreneurship.

In your opinion, why should one pursue a foreign qualification in Nepal?

I am not in favor of coercing all hopefuls to pursue a foreign qualification in Nepal. But I suggest students, who are driven by a motive of earning good fortune in a foreign land, should pursue such courses in Nepal since the same courses that they expect to acquire in a foreign swathe are available in Nepal at a very low fee structure.

In your opinion, how should IPAN go ahead for the assurance of its effective impacts on its members?

In my opinion, IPAN has successfully running international programs smoothly. So, it should conduct an education fair regularly to spread the message among the people of grass root level to let them know that Nepal is a fertile country for international qualifications.

What traits should a student/graduate possess in hospitality sector?

Students should have interest and compassion about hospitality and hotel management sector. In addition, hotel management is not only related with cooking. It has a variety of branches in service sector. Similarly, they should possess vital human traits: politeness, discipline and cooperation. They should also be smart and well-dressed up while dealing with guests and visitors.

How will the Academy of Culinary Arts and Hospitality Management courses go ahead in the future?

We have adopted a strategic plan convert our novice learners into professional entrepreneurs. Our target is to establish this institution as one of the top-most hospitality providing institutions. We are striving hard for its stability, expansion and recognition in the international market.

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